Corruption ‘real killer’ — director
KOTA KINABALU: Corruption has no room in healthcare and medicine, stressed Sabah State Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
She said numerous corrupt-related global incidences such as the 2013 Bangladesh Savar building collapse had clearly proven that corruption is a real people killer.
She said this is because the structural failure claimed over 1,000 lives and injured more than 2,000 people.
“We do not deny that corruption is a major threat to all, especially to civil servants.
“Corruption not only means being fed with money but also come in the form of service or valuables as a boost and reward,” she said at the Sabah State Health Department Corruption-Free Pledge (IBR) at Menara UTC here yesterday.
Dr Christina called upon civil servants of the Health Ministry to not only uphold the honest attitude and integrity practised but also learn from past incidences as corruption in healthcare and medicine involved matters of life and death.
“That is something that we must think about. Corruption not only gives a bad image to the civil servants, it also affects the services related to people’s lives and safety,” said Dr Christina.
“We in the Ministry of Health must remember that aspect and that is also what makes us realize that our action determines the lives of people who depend on our services,” she added.
Meanwhile, SPRM Sabah (Operations) deputy director Hasbillah Mohd Salleh emphasized that zero corruption can be achieved despite the challenges faced in Malaysia.
“It is not impossible to achieve zero corruption in the country, but we must strive to close the space and opportunity for corruption,” he said.
Hasbillah highlighted that extinguishing corruption would also help to extinguish drug problems in Malaysia.
A total of 59 officers comprising the Sabah State Health director, deputy director and representative of the deputy director, hospital directors, area health officers, district health officers, area dental officers and directors of nursing colleges in Sabah took the IBR.
The ceremony is a continuation of the lBR implemented at the Malaysian Ministry of Health on May 11, 2017.