365 days without a general hospital

KOTA KINABALU, 5 Nov 2009: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) would hand over petition to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday pressing him to solve the chaotic health and medical care services here.

Today is exactly 365 days Kota Kinabalu is without a General Hospital. SAPP which started a signature petition on 29 August 2009 had asked the Prime Minister to "GIVE US BACK OUR GENERAL HOSPITAL IN KOTA KINABALU".

At the close of the signature petition, a total of 4,028 signatures were collected from all over the state. Out of this number, 1,211 were collected online and 2,817 were signed.

SAPP Wanita Chief Melanie Chia said the petition seeks Najib's good office to hasten the reconstruction of the main tower block declared unsafe in November 2008 and the expansion of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Kota Kinabalu.

"Nothing have been done even after the main block have been declared unsafe for one year. This has caused lots of unnecessary problems and grievances to the users of the hospital and their families. Worst still, it is still the only referral general hospital in Sabah". Melanie said in a statement, here, today.

Melanie who is also Luyang Assemblywoman said the petition carries many signatures of the people from all parts of Sabah.

She said that the people were disappointed and frustrated when the Budget 2010 omitted QEH!

People are further distressed learning the reconstruction of the tower block will not kick off next year not to mention the expansion program which has be stalled for many years.

"We are puzzled by the missing figure for QEH in the Budget 2010 after the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Health and the State Cabinet led by Datuk Musa Aman had spoken so much about the crisis faced! It is obvious to the people that the BN Government had not done anything to put what they say into action! We are very disappointed", Melanie said.

The Budget 2010 allocated RM14.8 billion under the Ministry of Health for the construction or upgrading of hospitals in Bera (Pahang), Alor Gajah (Melaka), Shah Alam (Selangor), Kluang and Tampoi (both Johor).

According to her, SAPP fears that the health and medical care services here will worsen aggravating further the current congestion and long queue for operations.

"The physical constraints will further aggravate the social environment and create further stress to the patients and their families and also the medical staff", she added.

"This is unacceptable. The people of Sabah deserves better health and medical care services because we are part of Malaysia," she said.

SAPP Information Chief Chong Pit Fah had earlier said there is possibility that Najib have not been briefed on the pressing need to solve the health and medical care services here.

He had said that the Ministry of Health is responsible to provide inputs to Najib who is also the Minister of Finance so that he could prepare the Budget 2010 covering all aspect of the needs of the people throughout the country. He had also lamented that the Deputy Minister of Health Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, a Sabahan who should be well aware of the QEH crisis did not make sure that the reconstruction and the expansion is budgeted for.

Melanie said the Budget 2010 also missed out the BN promise to build hospital at Nabawan, a sub-district in the interior.

She said BN failed to fulfill its promise during a campaign in the 2004 General Election and repeated it again in the 2008 election.

"These are the imbalances we have been talking about. Even when promises are made, they are not fulfilled! How then can we count on having the other socio-economic imbalances addressed", she said.
ends.