PATIENTS, DOCTORS UNHAPPY WITH POOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

Patients, doctors unhappy with poor medical and health services — DAP

May 15, 2011, KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah has received many complaints about the services rendered by the Health Ministry to Sabahans in terms of medicinal quality, supplies and equipment.

DAP Sabah assistant secretary Junz Wong said that both the patients and doctors are unhappy and frustrated with the state of affairs in the medical and health services.

He added that Sabahans are the most unlucky citizens in Malaysia because the good drugs are not available to treat the sick.

According to Junz, for many years Sabah has only one radiotherapy machine for the whole state.

Last time before SMC Hospital was bought over by government, the hospital rented the machine.

Now after taking over the SMC hospital, the government is still renting it.

Junz, who is also DAP Sabah Kota Kinabalu Youth chief, said Sabah is short changed as far as the health services are concerned.

“The Health Ministry never even looks into allocating some fund to buy a new up-to-date radiotherapy machine for the cancer patients. Now that the machine is old and overworked, it breaks down almost every three months.

“There is no back up machine. The nearest radiotherapy machine available for Sabahan cancer patients is located in Kuching,” he said.

Junz said the lack of equipment has led to many specialists looking for better working conditions elsewhere.

“Our foreign-trained local specialists are keen to serve the country but the poor medical infrastructure especially the equipment make it impossible for them to provide optimum service.

“They are just pissed off by the remarks of inadequate funds or of the government’s emphasis on new buildings,” he said.

Junz said he knew of a cancer specialist who returned to Sabah after 18 years in the United Kingdom but was disappointed that after 48 years Sabah Medical and Health service does not have the environment, system and infrastructure to retain people like him for long.

Junz added that Sabah deserves better treatment from the federal government.

The State has contributed so much revenue to the National coffer but in return only received less than 10 per cent of the overall National budget.

“To illustrate the poor treatment and disparity further, Putrajaya Hospital in Kuala Lumpur has three radiotherapy machines and it is not even a state,” Junz said.