NURSING IN SARAWAK

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30109, 18 April 1963, Page 2

NURSING IN SARAWAK

Gisborne Girl Returns (N.Z. Press Association) GISBORNE. April 17. After three years and a half as a hospital nursing sister in Sibu, Sarawak. Miss June Johnston has returned to her home in Gisborne. Miss Johnstone, who had earlier spent four years in the South African copper belt, secured a contract with the Colonial Service and was pasted to the 250-bed hospital at Sibu, with three other sisters, an English matron and five resident doctors. The hospital, which was quite well-appointed, was built on stilts by a fast-flow-ing river, the settlement’s main means of communication with the coast.

“All our supplies were brought in by boat,” Miss Johnstone said. “Local vegetables were available, but the quality was not good. Consequently our supplies came from Hong Kong or Australia, which meant they were very expensive by the time they reached us. Australian lettuces were 5s each.” The political situation was becoming a bit difficult, especially since the recent Brunei incident, as the Indonesians, who possessed the biggest part of Borneo, were objecting to the Malaysia Federation, Miss Johnstone said.