Car park closure angers visitors, patients

Car park closure angers visitors, patients

Just based on the report, I think the customer of SMC shouldn't be mad on DBKK for issuing the stop order as there are laws to comply for every body regardless of their status (ideally). The action of DBKK may be viewed as 'inhuman' but they are  just trying to carry out their responsibility.


The chaos in fact all originated from the day the now demolished tower block of QEH which declared unsafe in November of 2008. The SMC is considered the 'victim' and the 'beneficiary' of the declaration. As 'Beneficiary', it is sold at a good price to the government and the shareholders of SMC are all laughing their way to the bank, 'Victim' is their customers are suffering with government hospital patients jamming into the same hospital complex and therefore all the chaos and mess.


All in all, the people are the losers.


If people wanted to look for scapegoat, the government is likely be the one as QEH had been neglected during those politicking years between the 80s and 90s. Then, even more unforgivable was that the continuance of the negligence after BN re-took Sabah.


However, what's happened already happened, what we want now is the government swiftly rectify all these problems in the shortest time possible.


People should be patient and sacrifice for another few more months or a year or two (if my observation is not wrong) before things progressed and improved.


Meanwhile, people should write in or voice out to the various channels to tell the government of their grievances on the health care services in Sabah starting from the QEH.


We must start our concern from the 60 state Assemblymen and 25 Members of Parliament.


Have they collectively passed a resolution in the state assembly for our concern on the medical service in Sabah yet?

沙巴马华州联委会理应特别成立专门小组特司处理沙巴州内的医疗保健事物

当初政府决定买下沙巴医药中心(SMC)的整个医院就认为可以解决主要的问题，没想到接踵而来的问题不断的涌现，交通问题相信是始料不及的。

宜今之计，就是期望各方（州与联邦）都能一起投入策划工作，共同拟定一个方案，快速解决问题以消除人民的痛苦。

州政府必须投入参与协助解决这项问题，虽然医院事属联邦卫生部但是现在吃亏的还是人民 -沙巴州的子民。沙巴州政府是不应该袖手旁观的，所谓城门失火殃及池鱼也。

卫生部长一直以来分属马华（马华署理廖中来）掌管，沙巴马华蚩有袖手旁观，坐视不理之理？

除了各院的巡察局外，沙巴马华州联委会理应特别成立专门小组特司处理沙巴州内的医疗保健事物协助廖中来部长监视有关事物的各项问题。在事情未恶化前就抢先解决之。

PKR: Why RM370M while 250-bed hosp should only cost RM100m?

An extract from Daily Express this morning, as follows:-

PKR: 250-bed hosp only costs RM100m; so why SMC?

Published on: Wednesday, December 02, 2009
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=69201

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Tuesday voiced concern over the way that taxpayers money was being spent in the acquisition and upgrading of Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) into a government hospital to the tune of RM370 Million.

Its chief, Ahmad Thamrin Jaini said the acquisition of RM280 million and upgrading cost of RM90m was simply too excessive.

"A well known listed government-linked company, KPJ Group, can build a 250-bed hospital for RM100 Million in Kuantan.

"If it is translated to 500 beds, it will only cost RM200 millionÉso, how is that the Federal Government must spend RM370 million for a 455-bed hospital," he said.

Looking at the cost, he said there is a huge excess of RM170 Million.

Ahmad urged the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe the huge discrepancy.

On another note, he said the 20,000 vaccine doses out of 400,000 H1N1 vaccines to be delivered to Sabah, accounted for only five per cent of the total vaccine booked and bought by the Federal Government for the country.

"Is this the sincerity of the Federal Government in caring for the so-called fixed deposit state like Sabah?" he asked.

He questioned how the Health Minister would be able to distribute the first 2,000 vaccines to health workers in Sabah.

He said Brunei with a population of less than half a million bought 300,000 vaccine doses, and yet Sabah with a swelled population of more than 1.5 million was given only 20,000 vaccines.

"This is indeed shameful to the people of Sabah who voted for the Federal Government to power in 2008," he said.

He also questioned why Sabah MPs are quiet over the two issues.

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The agreed amount was initially announced by PM on May, 2009 as RM250M, for the as-is building including some equipments; however, the amount was then clarified upward by RM30M to RM280M, one month later, by Minister of health, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai when he visited Kota Kinabalu in July, 2009.

SMC was purchased out of an unusual circumstance of unexpected and critical shortage of beds, and spaces, arising from the main tower building structure failure in Queen Elizabeth hospital.

It's an emergency purchase of an instant medical facility where a slight 'premium' should be expected; however, the quality of the building should be relatively better than those built under the supervision of the public works department as SMC was meant to be used by its original owners who are the doctors of SMC itself.

They were obviously not expecting to sell their ‘new’ facility despite this is their second sales of medical facility to government in five years.

The first SMC, fully commissioned in 1986 and located in Kingfisher Likas area, was sold to government on 3rd March, 2003, and has since been renamed as Hospital for Women and Children in August 2009.

In 2005, the same management of SMC then moved on to build an even better ‘dream’ hospital in Damai Luyang area, and coincidently, it’s subsequently ‘persuaded’ to sell the entire ready-made medical facility to our government again in 2009, with a background of desperation!
(Note: the following URL may help in understanding the history of SMC:-
http://www.sabahmedicalcentre.com/background.cfm)

The declaration of building unsafe for occupation in November 2008 had 'suddenly' caused a shortage of hundreds sick beds which must be made available immediately. It was luckily that SMC was available to 'share' out some of its facilities that the government of the day was able to save its dignity.

The purchase of SMC was considered logical in view of the urgency and awkwardness, and the immediate benefit was that SMC provided a much better working environment for the medical staffs from QEH. The decision to move some of the facilities to SMC had somehow elevated the morale of the workers, and of course, had increased the confidence of the patients, and the public as a result.

The PM was perhaps informed with wrong information, or, there could be some misunderstandings, over the matter of price negotiated. However, we should not be too bogged down with the actual cost of the acquisition; we should rather focus on the more realistic matters like setting the time frame to get all problems resolved for Hospital Queen Elizabeth. It’s the readiness of the necessary infrastructure within 1-2 years time that really matters.

The Ministry Of Health should reply on all the allegations accordingly and conduct regular briefing on its progress, in order to eliminate the public suspicion, and ultimately to regain their confidence in the public medical services.

沙巴自民党支持联邦政府购沙医药中心（SMC)

除此之外，沙巴自民党也支持州政府的医疗计划，即是将‘民事顾员和作社‘的旧大厦(Wisma Khidmat)改建为一所私立医院。

LDP支持州政府的医疗计划当然是‘好事’但并非‘本意’矣。

支持改建‘民事顾员和作社‘的旧大厦(Wisma Khidmat)也许是另有苦衷?前车之鉴乎？受了别人恩惠就得顺从州领导了。

自由民主党，真够灵活醒目矣！

不管怎样，总之，多一间医院好过少一间吧？