KOTA KINABALU: Comprehensive plans and measures are in place to improve healthcare and hospital infrastructure in the state, says Datuk James Ratib.
The Sabah Community Development and People’s Well-being Minister said among the measures are to upgrade the Tawau and Sandakan Hospital into state-level facilities so that specialists can be transferred there.
“For now, in Tawau, we already have sub-specialists, so does Kota Marudu,” he said to a supplementary question during the question and answer session at the state assembly sitting here Thursday (July 11).
Later, he was asked whether Sandakan will be getting a new hospital building or upgrades seeing that Tawau already has a new building approved.
“The Health Ministry has suggested for the expansion of hospitals with a RM400mil allocation in the 13th Malaysia Plan, and with this, RM2mil has been rolled out to kickstart the project for Tawau Hospital,” said James (Sugut-GRS).
Earlier, he was also asked whether there were plans to increase the number of dialysis machines at the Duchess of Kent Hospital (HDOK) in Sandakan.
He said currently, there are enough dialysis machines at the HDOK to cater to the needs of existing patients.
“The HDOK has a total of 30 water points and 45 dialysis machines. A total of 121 patients are getting hemodialysis treatment and 52 are undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) at the hospital,” James said.
