PENANG: Healthcare will in future be at the doorstep of every kampung and housing estate.

Health Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Lee Kah Choon this was to ensure the people had easy access to healthcare.

He said the ministry aimed to set up clinics within a 3km radius of every kampung and housing estate.

“This is to ensure that the people need not have to travel far for medical treatment and health care,” he said.

“More district and rural clinics will be built to instil awareness on diabetes, heart ailment, kidney failure and high blood pressure complications, and other diseases.”

Lee said to improve public healthcare, the people must understand the causes of such diseases and ways to prevent them.

He was speaking to reporters after opening a gotong-royong and colouring competition at Community Poliklinik in Jalan Perak yesterday.

Lee said the clinics were now within a 5km radius, adding that there were 900 district health clinics and more than 5,000 rural clinics in the country.

He said all district health clinics must place high priority on promoting health, adding that the clinics should include advisory panel members in their community outreach programmes.

Lee said the needy, elderly folk and disabled people must also be included in programmes to educate the public.