| Azaraimy HH |
A NEW clinic is due to open in Pekan Tutong, bringing the total of private clinics in the district to two.
Dr Haji Mohamad Baharin bin Haji Bintang, a qualified general practitioner (GP), who is also a physician in sports medicine and a certified acupuncture specialist, is setting up his very own private clinic, as a way of giving back to society.
His practice, Rayyan Baharin Clinic, which is based at the Petani Mall in Pekan Tutong, carries the theme of ‘Health is Wealth’ and will commence operation on April 1.
In an interview with the Bulletin, Dr Haji Baharin – who is so far the only Malay acupuncturist in Brunei – spoke of his intention to promote the benefits of acupuncture, and at the same time provide cost-effective services to the people of Tutong.
Quoting Dato Paduka Doctor Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, the Minister of Health, who put the ratio of doctors as 14.4 for every 10,000 people in Brunei during a recent LegCo Session, Dr Haji Mohamad Baharin said that having more private clinics around should provide an alternative to primary healthcare services and also reduce government spending on medicare.
Dr Haji Mohamad Baharin bin Haji Bintang. – AZARAIMY HH
With his GP background, Dr Haji Mohammad Baharin hopes to give a more personalised service, where he will educate patients about their ailments and even suggest alternative forms of treatment.
The Tutong-born doctor has been in practice for 16 years as an MD. After graduating in medicine, he did his ‘housemanship’ training in 1998. He then worked at the Ministry of Health for two years, before moving to the Ministry of Defence, where he did his GP internship from 2001 to 2004.
Dr Haji Mohammad Bahrain retired from military service, in October 2015.
On his decision to open a private clinic, Dr Haji Mohammad Baharin explained that it was his own conscious will to serve the Tutong populace, with whom he shares a common understanding and a deep rapport.
Dr Haji Mohammed Baharin has previously worked in several private clinics, where he noted that patients in small communities tend to react to medical services in a more complacent manner than their urban-dwelling counterparts.
At the moment, his main goal is to spend time with patients and teaching them that ‘Health is Wealth’, which he says is a personal source of satisfaction.
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