Hospital Duchess of Kent is undergoing expansion works to add more beds and improve facilities, amid concerns over overcrowding and ageing infrastructure in Sandakan.
KOTA KINABALU: Lawmakers urged the state government to address the issues of ailing hospitals, overburdened clinics and a chronic shortage of doctors in the state
During the State Assembly on Tuesday (April 16), several east coast representatives, particularly from Warisan, took aim at the government’s lack of urgency in improving healthcare services in their constituencies.
Among them were Elopura’s Calvin Chong and Sri Tanjung’s Justin Wong, who warned about the persistent lack of specialists, outdated facilities and limited emergency access in hospitals like Hospital Duchess of Kent in Sandakan and Hospital Tawau.
Chong pointed out the lack of specialists and the postponed upgrades at the Sandakan hospital. Meanwhile, Wong expressed that it is unacceptable for individuals from the east coast to travel over seven hours to Kota Kinabalu for emergency heart surgeries.
Former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) urged the creation of a state-level health ministry, saying Sabah should emulate Sarawak’s proactive approach to funding and managing healthcare infrastructure.
“When I was in government, I set up a Health Ministry because I didn’t want to keep depending on Putrajaya,” he said.
Nominated assemblyman Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (BN) said Sandakan’s population, now estimated at over 500,000, was not matched by adequate infrastructure, citing the district’s lone hospital with fewer than 1,000 beds.
He also highlighted poor conditions at the Sandakan Mile 7 clinic, which was temporarily housed in a community hall with no air conditioning or proper facilities.
In his winding-up speech, the Sabah Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister, Datuk James Ratib (GRS-Sugut), acknowledged the severity of the doctor shortage across Sabah.
“Even in my own constituency, we don’t have enough doctors. Many of them refuse to come to Sabah because they prefer to stay in the Klang Valley,” he said.
To address this, the state offered scholarships to Sabahans studying medicine. James said his ministry has also applied for additional medical posts and was awaiting approval from the Public Service Department.
Regarding infrastructure, he stated that the upgrade of the Sungai Manila Clinic in Sandakan had been approved; however, work had yet to commence due to pending action from the Public Works Department.
“I can’t knock on JKR’s door every day. Our job begins once the clinic is handed over to us,” he said.
James also confirmed that the Hospital Duchess of Kent expansion, estimated at RM500mil, had been approved before his tenure. He said a proposal for a new hospital may follow once the extension is completed.
To ease congestion, the government has temporarily borrowed the parking space from SMJK Tiong Hua and is exploring long-term solutions with the Sandakan Municipal Council and private partners.
In Tawau, a catheterisation laboratory system was procured to support local heart treatment. Eight hemodialysis machines would also be allocated to the district hospital, while nearby clinics such as Kubota, Kinabutan and Taman Semarak are being upgraded or relocated.
Wong argued that the state should fund the RM12mil angiogram unit directly instead of waiting for federal approval.
“The government can spend RM4mil on a number plate — surely saving lives should come first,” he said.
The Sabah government was urged to seriously consider structural reforms to reduce its dependence on federal decisions, particularly regarding critical health services and the welfare of its people.
