Health Minister insults Sabah on chaotic health care: SAPP

KOTA KINABALU, May 31 – Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) slammed Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai for insulting the intelligence of Sabahans on the chaotic state health care services here.

SAPP Information Chief Chong Pit Fah said the continuous health care crisis seems never ends while the government was very slow in handling the matter.

He said the whole problems started right after the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) main tower block was declared unsafe late last year forcing patients evacuated and relocated to the other district hospitals as well as the Sabah Medical Centre (SMC).

He said the bad situation has robbed city's folks of the basic necessary health care services for more than seven months, which is similar to losing a general hospital.

Chong added that the bad news Sabahans have to swallow is that the QEH is also the only main referral hospital for the state.

"As such, SAPP was right for putting up the 'Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Crisis billboard and counter' at the party's headquarters, Bornion Centre, Luyang, here," he said.

He was replying to Liow's recent statement that SAPP were trying to gain political milage through health issue.

Liow also slammed SAPP for putting up such billboards allegedly claiming that "the state has no general hospital following the Queen Elizabeth's closure".

"They are trying to gain political mileage through health issues. It is wrong to say that there is no general hospital here. The ministry has taken a lot of effort to continue providing health services," Liow said.

According to Chong, the billboards are being put up to serve as a terse reminder to the Government over the plight of Kota Kinabalu folks and the people of Sabah, as a whole, over the pressing issue and the need to resolve it without any further delay.

Chong added 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 also agreed with the Minister in the Prime Minister Department Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon's suggestion that the performance of every ministry be measured with a system called, Keys Performance Index ( KPI), to ensure better delivery as well as up to the people's expectation.

"The performance of the Health Ministry as well as the State Health Department on health care services all over Sabah must be measured via the KPI. The rakyat would be happy must with this system," he added.

He said each ministry and department must not retaliate whenever their performance is measured because such system is for their betterment as well as the people at large.
Tsu Koon while visiting Sabah recently hoped every ministry and department would accept the KPI system with an open heart.

The KPI system is still in its suggestion stage and have yet to be implemented.

He also challenges the Federal Government, to disclose the surprise surge of the price to purchase the Sabah Medical Centre, at Luyang, here.

He said tax payers must be given full details of the purchase as it involved huge amounts of funds, which runs into millions.

"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had recently said the purchase involved RM245 million but all of sudden the Health Minister announced the actual cost is RM280 million," he said.

Chong said there must be reasons behind the extra RM35 million and the rakyat must be informed due to the big differences.

Liow during his visit, here, on May 29 had said that the Federal Cabinet decided that the actual cost is RM280 million, which surpassed the initial cost announced by Najib on May 5.

Liow also announced that another RM90 million is needed to upgrade the hospital.
"We hope Tiong Lai is not trying to tell the rakyat that Najib had made mistake," Chong said.

Najib had on May 5, announced the purchase of the SMC as measures to overcome congestion at the only general hospital, here, the Hospital Queen Elizabeth (QEH), which main block was declared unsafe.

On the low morale of staffs, in particular, nurses due to problems arising from QEH debacle, Chong said the Health Ministry must find ways to address it quickly otherwise patients will suffer further.

The Health Minister had acknowledged that staffs have been working under tremendous stress and low morale since the decanting of the QEH main block that had been declared unsafe.

Chong further said that recently a nurse association had conducted survey at the hospital and found out that 93 per cent nurses at the general hospital are working under low morale.

The bad situation was due to the fact that the nurses and doctors are rushing from one hospital to another following problem encountered at the QEH.

Chong also questioned the absence of Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin or a single State Minister during Liow's visit.

He said such absence might lead the rakyat to think that the Deputy Minister, a Member of Parliament from Sabah , is being sidelined.

He also said that the Health Ministry via the State Health Department should invite a State Minister of Assistant Minister to join Liow's visit if Rosnah is not around.
"The Health Ministry and the State Health Department should at least respect leaders from Sabah," Chong said adding the rakyat might think the SMC purchase is being negotiated minus Sabah leaders.

Chong further said that there is also fear that the State Government might not have knowledge on the health care services situation here.

On MCA members dominating important positions at the QEH Board of Visitors Committee, Chong said they had failed to carry out responsibilities entrusted to them as the QEH debacle is evidence.

He said, as member of the board, the MCA people should at least offers input to the hospital or the State Health Department on how to improve the health care services here.