Selasa, Mei 08, 2012

AVIATION HISTORIAN RESEARCHING SABAH’S FIRST FLYING DOCTOR

Aviation historian researching Sabah’s first flying doctor

Datuk C.L. Chan, past president of the Sabah Society, presenting a memento to Blanche after his talk on The Early Pioneers of Flight in North West Borneo. Second from right is honorary secretary Maria Rowan and fourth from right is Sabah Museum director Joanna Datuk Kitingan.

KOTA KINABALU May 8, 2012: An aviation historian from Edinburgh, Scotland, Bruce Blanche, gave an interesting presentation entitled The Early Pioneers of Flight in North West Borneo to the Sabah Society in the Society’s secretariat here on Saturday evening.

His presentation included the aviation career of one of the early pioneers of aviation in Sabah, the late Dr Valentine Alexander Stookes MC of Sandakan, Sabah’s and Borneo’s first flying doctor, in the 1930s.

Blanche has visited Kota Kinabalu following a visit to Brunei and Labuan during which he gave several presentations on the early flight pioneers of northwest Borneo to the History Society of Brunei Shell.

He spent much of his early life in Brunei and Sarawak, first arriving in Borneo via Singapore in 1948 aged two. His late father, Mr H.J. Blanche, worked for the British Malayan Petroleum Company Ltd (BMPC), a predecessor of the Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd in Seria, Brunei.

His interest in aviation in northwest Borneo began in Brunei with his many early flights in BMPC aircraft and those of Malayan Airways Ltd, particularly the Douglas DC3 from Singapore to Labuan via Kuching and Sibu.

Blanche, a consulting geoscientist with over 40 years’ experience, has returned to Borneo many times in his professional petroleum geologist.

For the last 15 years, he has been compiling material for a book on the life and aviation career of Dr Stookes.

Dr Stookes had a private clinic in Sandakan in the 1930s and was also the panel doctor for Harrisons & Crosfield. He was murdered by Japanese soldiers in Keningau two weeks before liberation.

During Blanche’s visit to Kota Kinabalu, he visited the Sabah State Museum to research material on Dr Stookes. The curator and staff of the Sabah Museum kindly assisted him to visit Dr Stookes’ grave in the Old Christian Cemetery to pay his respects.

The grave remained unknown until a few years ago when it was discovered by members of the Sabah Society.

Blanche would be interested in hearing from anyone who has information or photographs of Dr Stookes. He can be contacted via email at blanche@blanche.co.uk or via Datuk C.L. Chan chan@nhpborneo.com

24 ulasan:

  1. Sabah flying doctors is necessary for areas which is not accessible by land nor water routes. Therefore air flights is the only way that can reach them. This is one of the efforts from the government to provide better medical and health service to the rural folks.

    BalasPadam
  2. Hope that this flying doctor service will be able to reach in to the rural areas to extend medical treatment to them.

    BalasPadam
    Balasan
    1. That is the purpose of the flying doctors, which is to improve the health service in the rural areas.

      Padam
    2. Semoga perancangan ini mencapai membantu golongan yang betul-betul memerlukannya.

      Padam
  3. perkhidmatan doktor udara ini amat perlu bagi membantu penduduk kawasan pedalaman dalam mendapatkan rawatan kesihatan.

    BalasPadam
    Balasan
    1. Hope that everything goes smoothly for the Flying Doctors operation.

      Padam
  4. Mesti ada banyak pengalaman yang tertulis dalam buku itu

    BalasPadam
  5. It would be interesting to find out what the Aviation Historian thinks of our Sabah Flying Doctors?

    BalasPadam
    Balasan
    1. Baik juga berkongsi pengalaman agar tidak merugikan mana-mana pihak.

      Padam
  6. kerajaan tidak boleh selama2nya bergantung dengan perkhidmatan doktor udara.. perlu juga wujudkan alternatif lain sekiranya wujud masalah dalam perkhidmatan doktor udara dikemudian hari..

    BalasPadam
  7. mana2 kawasan pedalaman yang masih belum memiliki jalan darat, baik mulakan pembinaan dari sekarang..

    BalasPadam
  8. The first Flying Doctor Service 2012-2016 using the twin-engine helicopter took to the skies for the first time using a twin-engine helicopter.

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  9. Deputy Minister of Health, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, said one helicopter would be placed each in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan to make at least five flights weekly throughout the year.

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  10. A team of five, including a doctor, will visit 63 villages in Sabah with 34 in the Kota Kinabalu area and 29 in Sandakan.

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  11. The Flying Doctor Service operates based on a schedule and has served more than 25,000 people in the state.

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  12. This year it is aim to provide health services to about 70,000 people in Sabah.

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  13. Villages in the Kota Kinabalu vicinity that will be served in Penampang are Buayan, Kalangaan, Timpayasan, Longkogungan and Terian, in Tuaran the team will stop in Moingob, Bambangan Ulu, Tobobon, Talungan, Sungoi, Wasai, Pahu and Poring, and in Pitas it will drop in at Dowokon, Maliau, Saniton, Mangkabusu and Nibang.

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  14. In the districts of Inanam and Kota Marudu there will be one village served in each, Ruminding and Gontoi.

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  15. The team will visit the Pensiangan district and stop by at the villages of Bantul, Saliku, Saliliran, Sasandukon and Kabu as well as Rundum, Kapulu and Sumambu in Kemabong.

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  16. The Flying Doctor Service in Sandakan will visit other villages in Kota Marudu which are Kipopogon, Sonsogon Magandai I, Sonsogon Magandai II, Sonsogon Paliu, Sonsogon Makatol, Sonsogon Mogis, Paliu Sumbuh, Tagibang, Garung, Samparita Laut, Lingkabungan I, Lingkabungan II and Binantungan Suyud.

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  17. In Beluran, they will make visits at Abuan, Gusi, Minsusurud, Mangkasulap, Nakadung, Malalin and Penindakan while in Kinabatangan, the team will stop at Tidong, Litang, Dagat and Balat. Villages in Tongod that will be served are Langga and Inarad.

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  18. The Flying Doctor Service which started in 1980 was a collaboration between Sabah Air and the Ministry of Health using a single-engine helicopter.

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  19. Yayasan Sabah then preceded them with a similar service that began in 1975 also using a single-engine helicopter.

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  20. Rosnah said the contract between the Ministry of Health and Sabah Air starting this year until 2016 amounted to RM18.36 million. The Ministry also provides medical services to the rural areas via mobile clinics that move on boats.

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