A total of 307 permanent medical officers will be stationed at healthcare facilities throughout Sabah under the first phase of the e-Placement initiative to strengthen services and reduce the existing workload.
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said 10 of these officers will serve at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan, which is the main referral hospital for the east coast of Sabah, covering not just Sandakan but also Kinabatangan, Beluran, Telupid and Tongod, Bernama reported.
“This hospital offers 19 in-house specialties and is the heart of health services in these five districts. With 414 beds, it faces a high workload covering outpatient treatment, surgery, emergency cases and maternity services.
“The arrival of the new staff will help improve the quality of service for the public,” he said in a Facebook post about his three-day working visit to Sabah today.
He said the ministry had approved an allocation of RM1.05 million to carry out minor works and improvements at the hospital. The funds will meet the needs of the surgical ward and help in the purchase of more chairs for patients in waiting areas, mattresses and pillows.
He took note of the need for further facility upgrades, such as the construction of a new block, the temporary relocation of old, at-risk wards, and the addition of a large-capacity water tank.
The minister later reviewed the operations at Kinabatangan Hospital, including the maternal and child health clinic as well as the dental clinic.
He inaugurated the new building of the Ulu Dusun health clinic (KK) in Sandakan and reviewed the progress of the reconstruction of KK Bukit Garam in Kinabatangan under the 12th Malaysia Plan’s dilapidated clinic project.
The upgrading work for KK Ulu Dusun, valued at RM600,000, has been completed and the clinic is operational while reconstruction of KK Bukit Garam, valued at RM1 million, is ongoing and includes the construction of a new building, complete with basic and support facilities.
Dzulkefly is expected to visit 22 health facilities across six districts in Sabah.
He wants the services at health clinics to be strengthened to reduce overcrowding at major hospitals. This will be done by moving minor surgeries to health clinics with the involvement of specialists.
