Sarawak hospitals in ‘deplorable’ state

Sarawak is in dire need of hospitals and specialist manpower and the government is just not doing enough.

KUCHING: The federal Health Ministry has come under fire for the deplorable conditions in hospitals in Sibu and Lawas.

According to Sibu MP, Wong Ho Leng, on any given day, there are “no less than 40 family members” or caregivers sprawled on the floors and corridors in the wards.

He said the Hospital Sibu which caters for more than 500,000 people is now known as a ‘third class’ hospital without sufficient specialists and surgeons.

“I agree with many in Sibu who complained that Hospital Sibu is third class.

“The Hospital Sibu caters for more than half a million people in Sibu and the hinterland of the Rajang River like Kapit, Belaga, Song, Kanowit, Bintangor and Sarikei.

“But many patients and their families have complained that the wards in Hospital Sibu are hot and uncomfortable. Those admitted to the hospital require family members to take care of them.

“At any one time we can see that there are always not less than 40 family members sprawling on the floor on the corridors, sleeping on cardboards and old newspapers,” he said.

He also pointed out a severe lack of specialists and surgeons in the hospital.

“It is unfair for patients to have to wait for treatment. Some have died from just waiting  because there are insufficient specialists and surgeons.

“The federal government should employ more specialists and neurosurgeons in Hospital Sibu” he said.

Hotel, instead of hospital

Wong also took to task the government’s misplaced priorities in the case of the Lawas Hospital.

“I am given to understand that the conditions in Lawas hospital are deplorable and cases have been brought to court for negligence of doctors which had resulted in death.

“A case in point is Kam Agong who died in 2002 at the age of 44 because of medical negligence when she gave birth to her 8th child,” he said.

The Lawas hospital was built on May 16, 1969 and is the oldest building in the town. In 1999 the Public Works Department had confirmed that the hospital was no longer safe due to decay.

Wong said that plans to build a new hospital were mooted under the 7th Malaysia Plan (1996-2000) and the plans were approved in the 8MP (2001-2005).

On March 26 last year the state Second Minister of Planning and Resource management Awang Tengah Ali Hassan announced that a new RM80 million hospital would be built in Lawas – 16 years after the plans were approved.

Works on the hospital should have started late in 2010. But nothing has happened.

On April 15, 2011, the Health Minister announced an allocation of RM121.6 for the construction of a new hospital.

“So far no works on the hospital have started until today. And what is strange is that a new hotel, Hotel Seri Malaysia was built,” said Wong.

“It is scandalous that instead of building a hospital, a hotel was built. Can the government explain why?

“Is the Health Ministry not able to tell the difference between a hotel and a hospital?” asked Wong.