HEALTHCARE IN SABAH IN WRONG HANDS

THE RISING trend of TB cases in Sabah is always a serious matter. This was pointed out again by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin in Daily Express dated 20.January 2013.

Dr Joseph Lee, who is the Medical and Health Bureau Chief of DAP Sabah said that Datuk Rosnah seems to have developed numbness and tolerance toward the rising trend of TB and other forms of Communicable Diseases such as dengue, malaria and hepatitis B to name a few.

“Telling people the rising trend of diseases but do nothing about it is equals nothing; words without action comes to nothing," said Dr Lee in a press conference held at DAP Sabah HQ.

Dr Lee, who is a DAP Sabah State Committee member said the opposition party maybe seen pressing and complaining too much to the Ministry of Health in many aspects like poor hospital facilities, lack of specialist centre for serious disease and so on.

But with due honesty, he said, we are all Malaysians and we all deserve better healthcare facilities and a safe environment to live without fear of infection by communicable diseases such as TB which is transmitted by air.

Statistics will show that TB is not a serious threat to the population in West Malaysia. This simply because all healthcare policies are formulated and implemented according to the need of West Malaysia; a super centralized policy making practice in Malaysia since the formation of Malaysia.

Sabahans have all the reasons to be angry as the second most powerful person in the federal Ministry of Health is from Papar, Sabah. And yet she has failed miserably in championing the healthcare need of the Sabahans for over 4 and a half years.

The government must seek and heed to expert advice on healthcare from the right person or professional bodies. The Malaysian Medical Association and Sabah Medical Association are organizations composed of the rightful expert on healthcare, and the Ministry of Health should actively engage these NGOs in formulating solutions for our healthcare system which is getting poorer rating by the days. It was and has been a disappointing state of affair to have non-medical personnel heading this important health ministry.

For instance, the medical fraternity in Malaysia and WHO or World Health Organization has been puzzled, confused, angry, felt cheated and all sort with the issue of "task shifting" in a country where we have medical doctor. Assistant Medical Officers (AMO) are now given license to run a clinic branded as 1 Malaysia Clinic.

These clinics were specifically design by the Prime Minster (who is not a medical doctor )to be located in town and to be run by AMO. By law AMOs are not allowed to prescribe anything more than common painkiller.

With limited prescription power and availability of medicine, such 1M clinic failed in its objective and often serve as death trap as often patient with serious illness seek treatment at such centre just to be told that there is no qualified medical doctor to prescribe or to institute advance medical treatment.

The question is, have these non- medical ministers seek professional medical advice before opening up such clinic? Do they do things in line with WHO or are we Malaysia simply unique and has its own way? The Malaysian way of life?

The healthcare needs and challenges in Sabah is unique and in no way comparable to West Malaysia. We need to have our own expert to formulate best medical practice guideline to specifically tackle our current state of affairs. If the government of the day continue to be passive and not proactive in healing the nation of Sabah, then the Sabahans has all the right to choose those who will. (DAP Media)