KUALA MUDA, 3.8.08, (DAY 5): DAILY REPORT

Today was a rather exciting day for us as a field work was arranged for by the BAKAS unit. Firstly, we gather in the meeting room at 9 am for a short briefing before we left to the site. Mr. Kammarudin who is the head of BAKAS unit gave a short briefing about the activities carried out by the BAKAS unit.




PPKP Mr. Kammarudin (BAKAS unit)


BAKAS activity is the continuation of the activity done since early 1960s - it emphasis on preventing the spread of communicable disease in terms to improve the health status of the suburban community by providing hygienic environment.



Main BAKAS Component:

1. Water supply project: Piping system (sistem sambungan paip JKR/KKM

• Gravity Water Supply system (sistem Bekalan Air Graviti : water sampling in this system is done twice yearly, if any outbreak sampling is done more frequently).


• Controlled well system (Sistem Telaga Terkawal) - not done anymore


• Rain water reservoir System (sistem tadahan air hujan) - not done anymore
  

2. Sanitation Project

• Building of flush toilet


• Sewerage system


• Solid waste disposal system

3. Maintenance, upgrading and replacing the above system

According to Mr. Kamarudin, a budget of RM 114000 is allocated annually to this unit to carry out their activities.

When a request is made by villager is for subsidised their sanitation system. BAKAS unit first registers the request and will decide whether or not to give the subsidy. It is given based on three criterion:

• family below poverty line (PPRT)
  
• disable people
  
• single mother

After the briefing, we went to a village in Bedong where BAKAS unit had built a sullage system and pit latrine for the village houses there. This visit was to survey and to make sure that the project has been completed.

Water sullage system.


Water sullage cok.

In the sullage system, a sink is built outside the house and the sullage is connected outside into a hole called 'cok'. The 'cok' is the comes in various size but normally is 3 feet x 3 feet cylinder. The bottom end of the cylinder cok is open but the top is covered with a cement cover which has a hole in the centre of the circle for future suction. This cok is burried into the water-absorbedable-earth up to the level just before the cover. A pipe from sink is attached on feet below to the cover onto the body of the cylinder. Water with small wasteis release out from the sink and enter into the cok and in turn it is absorbed into the soil while for the pit latrine, the human waste is collected into a similar cok. Once the pit latrine is full, a new set of pit latrine will be done but for the water sullage cok, the waste will be sucked out through the small 2 inches in diameter hole in the center of the cover. New water sullage system is made if frequent spills occur.

Pit latrine at the back of toilet.

After the field work, we had a small photo taking session before taking off.

Photo session.

About 2.30p.m. we gathered at the maternal and child health unit and we were greeted by Sister Zainab. She then introduced us to her other staffs. Sister Ponnu then took over the session to brief us on antenatal and postnatal checkup.

The maternal and child health clinic in the Kuala Muda district is open from Sunday to Wednesday. Some of the services provided in this clinic include:
- antenatal and postnatal checkups
- pap smear
- vaccination

Other than this the nurses in the clinic also goes for home visits. Normally 4 visits are done if there are no any complications during the pregnancy. In case of any complications then more number of home visits is done. The pregnant mother also requires coming for her antenatal checkup in the health clinic. During her first 28 weeks of pregnancy she has to visit the clinic once a month while from the 28-36 week she has to come once in 2 weeks and after the 36 week of pregnancy she has to come weekly for follow up.

Reported by Rathna