SANDAKAN: Former Sandakan Member of Parliament Chong Hon Min welcomed Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad’s announcement of a new medical block at Duchess of Kent Hospital.
However, Chong stressed that the overall upgrade plan must fulfil the previous commitment by ex-Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Sept 9, 2022 to elevate the hospital to a major state-level specialist facility, offering 49 specialist services.
Chong specifically urged the inclusion of a cardiac centre, similar to the one planned for Tawau Hospital.
He emphasised that heart patients in Sandakan facing emergencies cannot safely fly to Kota Kinabalu or Tawau and face life-threatening delays during the 5-6-hour road ambulance journey.
With the Minister’s visit and announcement, Chong called on Sandakan officials and state leaders to urgently press the Federal Government to expedite the hospital’s full upgrade.
Sandakan residents expect the government to seriously and promptly fulfil this overdue commitment for better healthcare, he said. – James Leong
