Establish mental hospital in Sabah’s east coast — asst minister

TAWAU: Assistant Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing, Norazlinah Arif suggested that a Hospital Bahagia for mentally ill patients be established in Sabah’s east coast.

She said that up until now there was only one mental hospital in Kota Kinabalu namely Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang which accommodates mental patients from all over Sabah.

“One (hospital) is not enough, recently I checked the capacity, (hospital’s) capability with its occupancy is unbalanced.

“For example, the hospital has a capacity to accommodate 200 mental patients, but now there are 400 patients, therefore this should be taken into account and there is a need to add another hospital for mental patients,” she said.

She disclosed this to reporters after launching the Community Prism: Psychological Care Centre at Taman Univilla yesterday.

The Psychological Service Centre is under the jurisdiction of the Psychological and Counselling Division of the Sabah Social Welfare Department.

Norazlinah said the matter to add another mental hospital in Sabah will be brought to the knowledge of the higher authority.

Meanwhile, the Kunak assemblywoman is also looking into the issue of medicine shortage in the state’s hospital seriously.

“This is why the Ministry of Health and People’s Wellbeing has been set up in Sabah to improve the quality of health services for the people,” she said.

She said if there were misconducts from the hospital including selling drugs to patients, the public should come forward and report directly to her ministry. - Bernama