SANDAKAN: Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has urged the government to seriously consider and expedite the proposal for a new hospital in the Libaran constituency, citing critical strain on public healthcare facilities at the Duchess of Kent Hospital (HDOK) in here.
He said HDOK is now operating beyond its original capacity and is unable to cope with the growing number of patients, not only from Sandakan but also from Libaran, Beluran, Telupid and Kinabatangan.
“The wards are often full, the shortage of beds has become a daily issue, and patients are left waiting or placed along hospital corridors,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Suhaimi also highlighted the worsening parking situation at the hospital.
“The lack of adequate parking spaces continues to complicate matters for patients, their families and hospital staff.
“I have repeatedly raised this issue in Parliament and the Sabah State Assembly over several terms, yet the proposal for a new hospital in Libaran has not been included in any of the 10th, 11th or 12th Malaysia Plans.
“This is deeply disappointing, especially when the population of Sandakan has now exceeded 500,000,” he said.
Suhaimi believes that establishing a new hospital in Libaran would not only ease congestion at HDOK but also improve access to healthcare for rural residents, particularly those living far from the city centre.
He further called on the Ministry of Health to speed up the deployment of specialists and medical equipment at HDOK, especially in critical areas such as cardiology, anaesthesiology, emergency care and paediatrics services which remain insufficient at the current facility.
“The people of Libaran and the entire east coast of Sabah deserve a fair and efficient healthcare system. This is not a political issue. It is a matter of public welfare and saving lives,” he said.
Suhaimi, who is also the Umno Sabah Information Chief, reiterated his commitment to pushing this agenda forward until it is no longer delayed, ensuring that the people of Sabah receive healthcare services on par with other states in Malaysia.
“This is about the well-being and health of the people. Libaran and the east coast of Sabah are entitled to the same healthcare standards as any other region in the country,” he said.