KUCHING: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM), through Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), will establish Bilik Kasih Wanita, a special rest room for female nurses at Sarawak General Hospital.
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said said the project, to be implemented in collaboration with a private company, was the first of its kind in the country and aimed at providing comfort for nurses, particularly pregnant mothers or those needing a space for milk expression.
“Bilik Kasih Wanita is expected to encourage hospital staff to prioritise their health, supporting their mental well-being as they perform their duties and live their daily lives,” she said in her speech at the sponsorship handover ceremony by YKN’s Strategic Partners for Anjung Kasih and Bilik Kasih Wanita at Sarawak General Hospital here today.
Nancy said the initiative was introduced, taking into account the demanding workload of hospital staff who handle a high number of patients daily.
In a press conference after the ceremony, she said the first phase of the Bilik Kasih Wanita construction at the hospital would involve three wards.
“We will begin with three rooms, and should the need arise and we receive sponsorship from private parties, we will increase the number in phases. Since this is the first time, we will observe the impact of this Bilik Kasih Wanita on the nurses.
“For the construction of this room in other state hospitals, we will expand it if we receive sponsorship from the private sector, as it is essential for them,” she said, adding that the Bilik Kasih Wanita project has secured RM76,300 in sponsorship from Perinsuran Brokar.
In addition, Yayasan AmanahRaya and Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad provided sponsorships for the Anjung Kasih YKN Sarawak General Hospital project, amounting to RM250,000 and RM52,500, respectively.
As of last August, a total of 18,022 individuals have benefited from Anjung Kasih since it began operations in 2014.
