RM150 mln Sandakan Medical Facility project
KOTA KINABALU: Plans are underway to develop the Sandakan Medical Facility at Mile 1.5, Jalan Utara in Sandakan.
The ambition was expressed by the directors of Kinacorp Sdn Bhd, Sunny T.Y. Lu and Dr Edmond Fernadez during their courtesy call on Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister, Stephen Wong.
The project consists of two blocks of buildings, namely a 15storey commercial building and a 21-storey specialist centre which is expected to cost between RM100 million and RM150 million.
“It will be a 100-bed hospital constructed on a 6.5-acre land situated near the Duchess of Kent Hospital,” said Dr Edmond.
He added that it has taken them more than a decade trying to get the project started and said that finally, they were at the final stage of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
“It has taken four years for the EIA to come to this stage,” he said.
The next step is to get the approval from the Federal Government, he said.
Dr Edmond said that they want the facility to contain, among others, a cardiac centre, which he said would be the first in Sandakan.
“People in Sandakan need such a facility. When someone suffers from heart ailment, they have to travel all the way here for treatment,” he said.
He also wants to provide Magnetic Resonance Imaging service at the facility since no such service is provided in the district.
Stephen, who is also Sandakan member of parliament lauded the plan and promised to help in getting the licensing and approval for the project.
“It is a good proposal and will be good for the people of Sandakan who are in need of an additional hospital in Sandakan,” he said.
He added that the medical facility could also promote medical tourism and help boost tourism in the district.
“I want Sandakan to share the cake in tourism earnings,” he said.