Sabah to set up committee to address utility disruption in hospitals

Sabah State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister James Ratib said that a special committee will be established to address water and electricity supply issues in the state.

James, who is also the Sabah state health exco, said that the committee would consist of representatives from relevant government departments and agencies, New Straits Times reported him as saying.

He proposed this after visiting the Sabah Women and Children Hospital (SWCH) in Likas after Warisan highlighted the issue on social media.

James urged all parties to avoid pinning blame and fuelling the issue on social media.

“Instead, I welcome any ideas and efforts that can contribute to the development and progress of the people and the state of Sabah," he was quoted as saying.

He alleged that certain parties were exaggerating the issue to imply that no action was being taken by the state government.

‘Actively seeking solutions’

Instead, James said the state government was actively seeking solutions to address water disruption issues not only in one hospital but also in others across Sabah.

"I will not remain idle if any healthcare facility in the state encounters problems, especially those related to essential utilities such as water and electricity," he stressed.

Earlier, Warisan called for the Sabah Water Department to launch an investigation into a private water-supplying company after alleging that SWCH had spent RM145,000 to purchase water from the said company during a 23-day water disruption period.

Its Kota Kinabalu division secretary Loi Kok Liang lambasted the government for allowing private tankers to sell water at inflated prices.

“If this is true and if Likas Hospital continues to purchase water (private tankers) for one year, the water bill might reach an estimated RM1.8 million.

“This is not only unfair but wrong, why should hospitals pay for expensive water bills when it’s clearly the fault of the Water Department,” Loi said.- Mkini