NABAWAN: The Sepulut Health Clinic will undergo a complete demolition and reconstruction project worth RM1 million, said Sabah Health Exco Datuk James Ratib.
The new facility will be constructed on the existing site in Kampung Sepulut, with work expected to begin in Sept 2025 and complete by April 2026, pending procurement procedures.
Since Sept 2020, the clinic has operated from temporary premises at Dewan Kampung Salarom Taka after the original building was declared unsafe due to land movement. Services have since been split between Salarom Taka and Dewan Kampung Sinsingon.
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Plans for a new Type 5 Health Clinic and staff quarters have been submitted under the 13th Malaysia Plan, Rolling Plan 1.
He urged residents to remain patient, saying the reconstruction would ultimately improve healthcare comfort and accessibility in the area.
His remarks came in response to criticism from Barisan Nasional (BN) Pensiangan Division Information Chief Md Saidi Ahmad Adini, who claimed that both James and Nabawan Assemblyman Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohd Yassin had failed to address the prolonged use of temporary facilities.
Md Saidi alleged that despite the Federal Government allocating RM44 million to upgrade more than 100 rural clinics across Sabah, the Sepulut clinic had been ignored.
He pointed out that the original clinic, built in the 1990s, was condemned by the Public Works Department due to land instability. Although a new site was identified and verified by the Department of Town and Regional Planning, no permanent structure has been built to date.
“Residents are left with no choice but to seek treatment at a temporary facility in Kampung Salarom Taka, some 11km from Sepulut town,” he said, adding that the condition of the temporary clinic poses safety risks to patients and healthcare workers.
Md Saidi also alleged that Abdul Ghani is linked to a 129-hectare land application in Nabawan, suggesting political interests had taken precedence over public health.
He concluded that the situation reflected the shortcomings of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah administration and called for urgent government action to restore proper healthcare access in the area.