SEGAMAT: The Health Ministry is aware of the problems with healthcare in Sabah and Sarawak and plans to address them, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
She said that the enhancements would need interagency and interministerial cooperation so that this matter can be addressed.
“We are aware of the issues with healthcare services in Sabah and Sarawak, where there are cases of patients needing to travel a long distance and go through various checkpoints just to get our service,” said Zaliha.
“This is some of the matters that we will continue to try to improve and look into, and we will go through every report sent to the Ministry,” she added at a press conference after her working visit to Hospital Segamat here on Saturday (Dec 10).
Dr Zaliha said this when asked to comment on a case regarding an elderly woman who died while on her way to get treatment in Hospital Miri after failing to go through the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Centre (CIQ) in Sungai Tujuh, Sarawak.
The case was reported by a news portal on Dec 7 which informed that the ambulance carrying the victim could not pass through as the gate was closed.
"What happened was due to the long distance from Lawas to Miri, and this is something that we will try to improve," she explained.
