KUCHING – Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) has secured international recognition for its work in osteoporosis management, receiving the Bronze Certificate from the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) in 2024. This accolade underscores the hospital’s advancing role in secondary fracture care.
The award is part of the IOF’s Capture the Fracture programme, which evaluates Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) across the world and assigns bronze, silver or gold standing based on adherence to a set of best-practice criteria. SGH’s FLS programme is listed among those that have attained bronze recognition.
In addition, SGH has expanded its FLS activities since 2023, complementing its existing orthogeriatric liaison services model, which was launched in November 2022.
According to IOF guidelines, a well-functioning FLS should identify patients with fragility fractures, assess them swiftly, initiate treatment, and provide long-term follow-up.
Commenting on the development, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said the initiative reflects the determination of hospital staff rather than top-down directives.
He remarked: “Despite being in the middle of the jungle, we are recognised internationally.”
He added: “It was not the ministry that asked us to be recognised, but the staff who took the initiative themselves.”
Dr Sim also highlighted the steady growth of SGH’s Clinical Research Centre (CRC) over two decades.
The CRC is now one of Malaysia’s more prominent research institutions, housing a Phase 1 unit capable of early trials and accredited laboratories.
He noted that the centre, initially modest in scale, has earned recognition at national levels, even drawing the attention of the Prime Minister.
He emphasised that such progress is the fruit of collective effort across medical teams and researchers, not individual acclaim.
SGH, located in Kuching, is the principal tertiary hospital in Sarawak and operates as a referral centre for the region.
Its efforts in bolstering osteoporosis care and clinical research mark a notable stride in elevating regional healthcare standards.
