Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Vice-President Datuk Junz Wong has questioned whether the reported RM24 million cost of a three-year facial recognition security system for Sabah hospitals represents the best use of limited healthcare resources amid shortages of doctors, medical equipment and emergency services.
“Hospital security is important. Nobody disputes that. But when healthcare resources are limited, every ringgit spent must be measured against what patients and healthcare workers need most,” he said in a statement.
Wong questioned whether the expenditure would make hospitals safer and deliver value proportionate to its cost, or whether the same amount could save more lives if invested directly in medical personnel, equipment, ambulances and emergency care.
He said RM10 million could be used to attract and retain medical officers through better accommodation, relocation assistance, professional development opportunities and incentives for rural and difficult postings, while another RM10 million could provide essential equipment such as ventilators, cardiac monitors, defibrillators, infusion pumps, portable ultrasound machines and neonatal facilities.
The remaining RM4 million could strengthen ambulance and emergency medical transport services, particularly given Sabah’s geography and the distances many patients must travel for treatment.
“These figures are illustrative, but they demonstrate the opportunity cost involved. RM24 million is not a small amount. It can strengthen the medical personnel who treat patients, the equipment they use to save patients and the emergency services that get patients to hospital in time,” he said.
Wong also questioned the long-term value of the reported three-year rental arrangement, asking what would happen when the contract expired and whether taxpayers would have to fund another major contract if the system remained necessary.
“If RM24 million is for only three years, what happens when those three years are over? If the system remains necessary, will taxpayers have to fund another major contract?” he asked.
He said the issue was not a choice between hospital security and healthcare, stressing that hospitals must be safe for patients and healthcare workers, but that the proposed expenditure must be necessary, proportionate and cost-effective.
Wong urged the authorities to explain the specific security problem the system was intended to address, how the RM24 million cost was determined, whether cheaper alternatives had been evaluated, what measurable improvements were expected and what would happen after the rental period ended.
“Sabah does not need healthcare spending driven by what looks technologically impressive. We need healthcare spending driven by what saves lives and strengthens our healthcare system,” he said, urging the authorities to strengthen medical staffing, provide essential equipment and improve emergency response while ensuring hospital security solutions offered genuine value for money.
