KOTA KINABALU: A health clinic which serves thousands of rural folks in Beluran district burnt down around midnight on Wednesday (Feb 14).

A worker's quarters was also destroyed in the Kg Tangkarason fire, said State Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations, Hamsa Isnurdini.

Fortunately, no one was injured, he said.

Responding to this incident, Sugut assemblyman Datuk James Ratib said quick action would be taken to rebuild a clinic at the area, so that villagers would be able to get medical attention when needed conveniently.

He said at the moment, almost 2,800 village folks would have to go further to seek medical assistance when needed.

"There are two other health clinics closest to this village which are the Paitan Health clinic situated 29km away and Sungai Sungai Health Clinic some 50km from the burnt down clinic," he said in a statement, Thursday (Feb 15).

James said due to the severity of the matter, it was vital that an action be taken immediately while waiting for a new clinic and workers quarters to be built.

For now, the option they have was to utilise the Kg Tangkarason multipurpose hall as a temporary clinic, he said.

He said it would take at least six months for a new clinic to be rebuilt and around nine months for a new workers’ quarters to be constructed.

James said the Sabah Health Department and Malaysia Health Ministry would need to work together to get funding for the rebuilding of the clinic and worker’s quarters.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.