KK City 600 days without a general hospital

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) issued a grim reminder to the government on Monday when its Youth Wing managed to hold a brief demonstration to mark the "600 days for the 500,000 city dwellers without a General Hospital" outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here.

The group of about 20 SAPP youth members led by gathering organising committee chairman, Stephen Gaimin and accompanied by Youth Chief, Edward Dagul and SAPP Information Chief, Chong Pit Fah managed to carry out the peaceful 'campaign' for several minutes in view of 10 policemen.

The police came in six cars to monitor the situation as the application by SAPP Youth on June 15 for the permit to hold this gathering was not approved.

However, they let the SAPP Youth to proceed for a "few minutes" before asking them to disperse.

According to Steven, even though they did not get the approval from the police to hold the gathering but they decided to come and just hold the banner as SAPP continued its campaign for the healthcare services particularly in the State Capital to be improved.

"It is to remind to government and we really hope that they really have the heart to solve the problem," he said.

"We also thank the police for letting us to do what we want even for just a few minutes," he said, adding that they came only in small numbers as they did not want to create any chaos if more turned up since it would be considered as illegal gathering.

Meanwhile, SAPP urged the government to do something about the parking space, which is located far from the QEH clinic.

"It will be difficult for those sending their sick parents as they have to walk far to get to the clinic ... sick people who could still manage to drive but having to park their cars in the parking lots will become more ill as they have to walk so far to see the doctor in the hospital," said Chong.

SAPP also urged government leaders especially the Minister of Transport to try out the public transportation facility here so that they can see the real situation.

"A sick person will not be able to go to the hospital by using public transportation in the present public transportation system. We urge the government to provide more public transportation and improve the system," he said.

At the same time, SAPP also criticised leaders from Sabah for always saying that everything is good in Sabah to the Federal leaders, he said.

"Tell Kuala Lumpur the real situation like how bad is the healthcare services in Kota Kinabalu City ... we don't have a fully equipped general hospital to treat the public," he said.

Chong said SAPP continued to be appalled with the way people are receiving treatment in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who had to be transferred here and there on an ambulance to get CT Scan or to be operated on.

"So, SAPP wants to keep on reminding the government to be more serious in addressing this problem through the countdown of how many days KK is now without a general hospital," he said.