KOTA KINABALU: The state Health Department is taking steps, including expanding hospital facilities, to boost the quality of health care.
Its director, Datuk Dr Christina Rundi, said the department was acutely aware of the constraints that it faced, particularly in terms of hospital infrastructure and the quality of services provided to the community.
She was responding to an open letter, published by the Malaysiakini news portal yesterday, that highlighted problems that were allegedly occuring at hospitals across Sabah, including the unavailability of medicinal drugs and facilities that were in bad shape.
“So far, we have provided quality health services and skilled manpower and facilities that are at par with other places. “However, I do admit there are times when repairs are not carried out, elevators break down and medicine is in short supply.
“However, the damaged elevator at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan that was reported in a news portal is being repaired and is expected to completed next month,” she said after launching the North Borneo Classic Medical Asset Exhibition at the state museum here, today.
According to the open letter, the operating theatre at the Duchess of Kent Hospital had been facing year-long repair problems while the Lahad Datu hospital’s maternity operating theater which was built about 15 years ago has never been used.
The letter also mentioned an incident where a man had to carry his pregnant wife up the stairs for an operation because the elevators were out of order.
It also alleged the healthcare facilities and services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Likas Children and Women’s Hospital were unsatisfactory and that doctors were forced to look for alternative drugs as they had run out of certain antibiotics and anaesthetic.
Dr Christina said the problem of inadequte medical supplies should not be shouldered by hospital alone as other parties were also involved in their procurement.
“It is not fair to blame us. We are not the ones making the medicines.”