Saturday March 7, 2009
Current medical facility in Sabah declared to be unsafe
By Ruben Sario
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is pushing for the construction of a new hospital in the state capital, following the announcement that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s (QEH) tower was unsafe.
Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said a new hospital was urgently needed to overcome the acute bed shortage at the QEH.
“We are looking to the federal government to provide an allocation for a fast track construction of a new hospital in Kota Kinabalu,” he said after chairing the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
He said medical consultants had been called in to weigh out the various options available while waiting for a new hospital to be built.
Musa said new initiatives were being formulated to provide for more hospital beds in the state capital as quickly as possible.
“We are aware of the urgency of the situation.
“But the interest and safety of patients are paramount,” he added.
On a proposal for the government to acquire the privately-owned Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) as a fast way to provide additional beds, Musa said there could be other alternatives.
“For the same amount of money to buy the SMC, the government could provide more hospital beds and medical facilities in the state,” he said.
On Monday, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad said Sabahans would have to wait for a new hospital in the city as there was still no budget for such a facility. He said the federal government had agreed in principle for a new medical facility and had identified the land for it.
Source:
RSS
