SANDAKAN: Chong Hon Min, the former Member of Parliament for Sandakan, has expressed his support for the upgrade project at the Duchess of Kent Hospital located nearby.
Nonetheless, he cautioned that the comprehensive plan must incorporate adequate specialist services as previously stated by former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, to address the healthcare requirements of Sandakan.
Chong made these remarks following the recent announcement by Federal Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad during his visit to the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan, regarding the construction of a new medical block on the existing parking area of the Dialysis Centre to increase bed capacity and enhance medical equipment.
“This is essential because the residents of Sandakan deserve improved healthcare facilities, and the enhancement of such facilities has been overdue for quite some time,” he said in a statement today.
Chong further noted that former Federal Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had previously declared on September 9, 2022, that the Duchess of Kent Hospital would be upgraded to serve as a major state-level specialist hospital, akin to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, providing 49 specialist services.
“At that point, the Duchess of Kent Hospital was only offering 18 specialist services,” he remarked.
He also believes that the Duchess of Kent Hospital should include a cardiac centre for coronary assessments and treatments, similar to the one announced for Tawau Hospital by the Health Minister.
Chong stressed that such a cardiac centre is crucial, as heart patients in Sandakan experiencing sudden emergencies are not suitable for air travel to Kota Kinabalu or Tawau for treatment.
“They would have to endure a five to six-hour ambulance ride by road. This could delay critical medical treatment, potentially resulting in severe consequences, including loss of life,” he concluded.
