Call for specialist hospital to set up in Sandakan
KOTA KINABALU: Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing Stephen Wong Tien Fatt hopes that a specialist hospital will be built in Sandakan.
He said the people in Sandakan have been wishing for a specialist hospital to be set up there.
Wong pointed out that Kota Kinabalu has three private hospitals, namely, Gleneagles, KPJ and Jesselton Medical Centre, and he hoped that some of the specialist hospitals would consider making their services available in Sandakan.
“We are short of specialist hospitals in Sandakan. We hope more specialist hospitals can be built (in Sandakan) to supplement the government hospital,” he said after touring Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital here yesterday.
Wong was representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal in officiating at the Bright and Brilliant Kids’ Day as part of the hospital’s third anniversary and Raya celebration.
He said Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu has remarkable facilities and is doing a good job in supplementing government hospitals.
At present, he said 60 per cent of the approximately 200 beds at the hospital are occupied.
With Gleneagles in Sabah, Wong said locals no longer had to fly to West Malaysia or Singapore to seek medical treatment.
He said the government would also do its level best to recruit more qualified doctors to improve medical facilities for the people.
Meanwhile, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu chief executive officer Noel Cheah said the hospital has two experienced paediatric specialists under its medical specialties.
“Apart from paediatric medicine, we are able to carry out paediatric surgical procedures for children as well.”
He said Gleneagles was also the only private hospital in Sabah with a heart specialist who could perform surgery on children.
Since opening in 2015, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu has notched up numerous clinical milestones, including complex tertiary surgical procedures such as paediatric cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and spine surgery.
“Our ability to perform such high-end clinical procedures successfully is a reflection of the quality of specialists and healthcare professionals that we have in Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu.
“Our mission is to deliver safe and quality healthcare through our dedicated team of professionals.”
Meanwhile, some 70 special children from several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were delighted by the magic show, colouring activities, face painting and balloon sculpting during the Bright and Brilliant Kids’ Day.
The children also received free eye, hearing and speech assessments.
Additionally, the hospital gave out duit raya to the children and presented cash donations to Persatuan CHILD Sabah, Sabah Cheshire Home, Persatuan Sindrom Down Kota Kinabalu, Matahari Intervention Centre and Seri Mengasih Centre at the event.