Kota Kinabalu: A new Sabah Women’s and Children’s Hospital (HWKKS) block will be built to overcome the patient congestion at the hospital in Likas.
State Minister of Community Development and People’s Well-being (KPMKR) Datuk James bin Ratib said the new block would involve the addition of 458 beds to the existing 678 beds.
James said efforts to overcome the congestion had been brought by the Special Committee to deal with problems of the hospitals in Sabah.
“The development related to the hospital in Likas has been completed and there are no problems. Recently we have formed a Special Committee to tackle relevant issues for hospitals.
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“We will plan approximately 458 beds for the new construction and expansion of the HWKKS hospital on this 3.5-acre land in Likas,” he said.
He explained that the establishment of the Special Committee would have an impact in improving facilities in hospitals in the state, including the need for beds, better medical equipment and the addition of staff and specialist doctors.
HWKKS is the only hospital for women and children in Sabah that handles up to 56,000 patients a year. It also recorded the highest birth rate in the country.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ruslan Muharam wants contractors tasked with upgrading the Weston and Lingkungan health clinics to ensure they do a proper job.
“We do not want another abandoned building like the one at Beaufort Hospital because of contractors’ failure to complete it,” he said, when officiating the Weston Health Clinic ground breaking ceremony, here.
He said the Beaufort Hospital’s upgrade would have meant having specialist doctors. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned.
“That portion of the building is only 30 per cent complete when it should have been completed by July 4 this year,” he said.
He said this would have an impact on the people’s representative, especially since the government and the people want the best services available, only to be disappointed by the contractor’s failure to complete it.
“I want contractors to take responsibility for completing the Weston and Lingkungan clinics on time,” he said.
On the Weston and Padas Damit health clinics, he said the wiring connection is disorganised and requires maintenance.
He requested the Health Ministry to look into the matter and take appropriate measures as soon as possible.
“The building is completed, yet its wiring connection is disorganised. For example, if you install air conditioning and a fan, everything will be damaged,” he said.
Ruslan also officiated the ground breaking ceremony for the Lingkungan Clinic on the same day.
The Weston and Kg Lingkungan clinics are being upgraded at a cost of RM500,000 each.
Primary Health Medical Officer Dr Mohammad Kamal Mohammad Lazi who represented the District Health Officer said this during the ground breaking ceremony officiated by Ruslan.
The aim is to improve the clinics in the district, most of which have been dilapidated.
The Weston clinic was built 42 years ago and is unsafe while the Lingkungan Mother and Child clinic was closed as it was dilapidated.
The new Weston clinic is expected to have a special treatment room for 100 outpatients.
The Ministry announced that 436 dilapidated clinics would be upgraded nationwide by December.
He also said the Bukau rurak clinic in Weston was also moved to the new Lumadan rural clinic as previously it tend to be flooded.
An open hall would also be built in Padas Damit health clinic.
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