Kinarut site or SMC?

Kota Kinabalu: The State Government has identified 50-100 acres near Kinarut as the proposed location for the new hospital to replace Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Speaking to reporters after a brief meeting with Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai at his office in the State Legislative Assembly building on Tuesday, he said:

"The Minister has, in principle, agreed with the proposal and will be bringing the matter up to the Federal Cabinet for discussion".

According to Musa, the State Government had requested that the hospital would be able to accommodate more than 600 beds.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Majaham reports that the Ministry has also not ruled out buying over Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) if the price is right.

"One very urgent thing that the people of Sabah need is a cardiac-thoracic centre. This has been highlighted many times," said Minister Liow.

"I need to take immediate action to ensure the centre is available in Sabah, especially in KK, so that we don't have to send our patients all the way to IJN. Some heart patients whose blood pressure is not stable can't travel by plane. Travel is also costly."

However, the Ministry is still considering all options instead of rushing into acquiring SMC. "We are looking at all possibilities. I reiterate that we must think of the patients' interest. How we can serve them better, for example, in any emergency.

"If we want to build a new one it will take time, maybe three, four, five years. If we buy an existing one we can also quickly put in the cardiac-thoracic centre and immediately Sabah can have one rather than waiting for a new one to be built.

"Actually the 9MP has already approved the budget to build one cardiac thoracic centre somewhere near QEH, at the carpark. But we have not decided (on that site) yet.

"If we buy SMC, then the centre will be set up there. Even then I would say that we must be very transparent - about the price of SMCÉ valuation must be proper. We will get a few valuations.

"If the price is not okay, we won't buy. It must be for the interest of the people in Sabah. We have to look at all aspects." (akhbar Daily Express)