SAPP to PM: Walk your talk, resolve QEH crisis

KOTA KINABALU, 30 April, 2009: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has called on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to immediately intervene to resolve the ongoing crisis besieging the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) which is now running into its 176th days.

Urging this was SAPP Women Chief, Melanie Chia while speaking to reporters at the unveiling of its "QEH crisis signboard cum days counter" at its Headquarters in Bornion Centre, Luyang here today.

Melanie who is also the Luyang State assemblywoman stressed that this was also in line with the Prime Minister's now popular slogans of "1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now".

"This is indeed a good opportunity for our PM to prove that he can really walk his talks. Perhaps he should conduct a 'spot check' on the QEH during his first official visit to Sabah scheduled for next week, so as to better understand the real situation affecting the people of Sabah," she urged.

She reiterated that since till to-date both the Federal Ministry of Health and the State government still could not come up with an effective-and-comprehensive measure to resolve the issue, since the only General Hospital in the State Capital and a main referral hospital for the state was decanted last November, after it was declared unsafe, perhaps it's time for the Prime Minister to step in to resolve the pressing issue, once and for all.

While concurring with her suggestion, SAPP Deputy President cum Likas State assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan who was also present at the occasion described the issue as another testimony of "Sabahans being treated like the step children", unlike Malaysians in Peninsular Malaysia who would always get the immediate and full attention from the Federal leaders and Ministers, should they face the similar problem.

"I truly sympathise with the suffering of our people and I hope our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib could personally look into the matter and to resolve it as soon as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, in his briefing to the media, SAPP Information Chief, Chong Pit Fah explained that the said signboard and days counter is part of the party's ongoing effort to remind the Government and leaders in the state over the plight of Kota Kinabalu folks and the people of Sabah, as a whole, over the pressing issue affecting them and the need to resolve it without any further delay.

"Kota Kinabalu is probably the only city in the world without a general hospital, which is a basic requirement for a city," he quipped.

He continued that the "Days" counter will be updated at noon each day to record the number of days that Kota Kinabalu City people have been deprived a general hospital.

"The billboard also aims to remind the people of the dire consequence that they might face should they fall sick or become seriously ill," he added.

He regretted that the residents of Kota Kinabalu are currently deprived of fundamental healthcare services, following the decanting of QEH last year after its Tower Block was declared unsafe and its patients relocated to various district hospitals and Sabah Medical Centre (SMC).

"It has been 176 days now since the QEH was declared unsafe and yet the Government, both at the Federal and State levels still couldn't come out with any effective-and-comprehensive solution to the problem, while the patients continue to suffer as well as putting their lives in danger.

"This unnecessary inconveniences has caused long waiting lists, increasing suffering of patients awaiting much needed surgeries," he lamented this at the unveiling of the billboard and counter of the QEH crisis at SAPP headquarters, in Bornion Centre, Luyang here today.

He also noted that a majority of the QEH patients were those from the lower income group and can't afford to undergo treatment in private medical institutions or overseas.

He thus described the government's failure to resolve the QEH crisis as being grossly unfair and cruel to the rakyat.

Chong also questioned what is the relevant authorities going to do in the event that Sabah is hit by the swine flu outbreak that is currently causing great havoc in many countries including Mexico , United States of America , New Zealand , Canada , Spain and United Kingdom .

"Where is our quarantine facility and crisis response centre now following the decanting of the QEH? "he asked.

He also reiterated that there's no excuse for the government not to be able to resolve the problem quickly when it could afford to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money to carry out the gas pipeline project in Kimanis, Papar to channel our natural gas in Sabah to Bintulu for processing and to be exported later, besides having no problem in paying the highway concessionaires multi-million ringgit in damages when the Federal government deferred the introduction of new toll rates.

He reminded that the longer it takes for the Government to come up with an effective solution to the QEH crisis it would incur more cost to the Government, citing the recent revelation by the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman that it was estimated to cost the Government a whopping RM70 million a year, just to relocate and 'outsource' the QEH patients, as a short-term measure to deal with the crisis.

On the long-term measure to resolve the issue as mentioned by the Chief Minister, that is to proceed with the construction of the 'twin towers' at the premises of QEH under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011 – 2015), to provide for 661 beds, Chong contended that it is just too slow a solution to deal with the pressing situation facing the QEH patients.

"The Chief Minister also failed to mention whether such a plan would take place at the beginning or the end of the 10th Malaysia Plan, as well as the actual time needed to complete the 'twin towers'," he added.

He stressed that by right, the construction of the 'twin towers' should be carried out as soon as possible, in order to resolve the ongoing healthcare crisis facing the residents of Kota Kinabalu and the state as a whole.

He also maintained that the State government's plan to convert the now-abandoned Wisma Khidmat here into a general hospital is inappropriate, and a waste of time and money.