KOTA KINABALU: The Tangkarason Health Clinic in Beluran was built decades ago but it is in a legal bind that is slowing down government efforts to rebuild the wooden clinic that burned down last week.
Sabah Minister of Community Development and People's Welfare Datuk James Ratib said this is a very unwelcome oversight – the clinic is sited on land not gazetted into a state entity even after 30 years – which is hampering a speedy allocation of funds to immediately rebuild the clinic.
He said from records in the Land and Survey Department, the land involved has not yet been gazetted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) through the Federal Land Commissioner (PTP), and this issue is also hampering efforts to build and upgrade other clinics as well, including the Mansiad Health Clinic in Sook.
"As the minister responsible, I am quite perplexed with the situation. Government employees need to understand their roles. The 30-year period (of non-action) is too long, there was no follow-up when officers 'come and go' and the department did not monitor the status of land, if one or two years elapsed (with no gazettement), someone should have followed up on it.
"There must also be collaboration between government departments and employees at the federal and state levels to ensure that oversights like this do not recur, we have to network so there is provision of facilities for communities in Sabah," he said at a press conference here today (Feb 19).
Last Saturday (Feb 17), the Health Ministry (MoH) in a statement informed the Sabah State Health Department (JKN) that it would submit an application for allocation to rebuild the Tangkarason Health Clinic which was razed on Thursday (Feb 15).
The fire destroyed the clinic quarters as well as all assets and medical equipment, after which health facilities for residents in the area were set up temporarily at the Tangkarason multi-purpose hall.
James said he would bring the matter to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's attention, and he reminded all heads of departments and state government employees to not be reticent in similar situations.
"The Chief Minister (Hajiji) and the state government are trying to help the people but negligence like this will be inhibitive on the advancement of the state and as a result, Sabah will fall behind in development," he said.
He said this year, the state government is also working to ensure that all health clinics with wooden structures are upgraded to concrete buildings, therefore this requires the cooperation of all parties to ensure that it can be achieved. — Bernama