Many not aware of improved services at S’kan hospital
SANDAKAN: The Duchess of Kent Hospital (HDOK) has improved its services which not many people are aware of.
Its director, Dr Francis Paul, said that one of the improved services provided by the hospital is the drive-through pharmacy for the convenience of patients.
There is also the “SMS & Collect” service where patients who have to make repeat collection of medicine can just SMS in advance and the hospital pharmacy will get them ready for quick collection without having to wait.
This service is provided at the Specialist Clinic Pharmacy section of HDOK.
Another service is that the hospital can also arrange to send medicine by post to the home or workplace of patients.
Dr Francis disclosed this during a briefing for the Sandakan Municipal Council's Highway and Public Utilities Committee (HPUC) led by Taren Sunil Manoharan who paid him a courtesy call recently.
Taren Sunil said the courtesy call was to look into issues that faced by government establishments.
Apart from paying their respect to the director, the HPUC committee members also took the opportunity to express their appreciation for the noble work carried out by the management and staff of HDOK.
“People may not fully realise the demanding daily routine that the HDOK management, doctors, nurses and staff go through daily looking after the sick. They have to attentively provide constant care for patients while at the same time be ever ready for sudden emergencies. In fact many of us will only come to appreciate their work and sacrifices when we are directly affected or when someone we know has been admitted to the hospital for treatment,” pointed out Taren Sunil.
“Our visit to HDOK was also to find out problems the hospital might be facing and see if our HPUC could help address them,” he added.
During the discussion, it was learnt that one of the major concerns of the hospital was the unsatisfactory supply of water. It was also pointed out that the drains alongside the road leading to the hospital were in need of clearing.
The dire shortage of parking space remains one of the biggest problems.
Jocelyn Lee, secretary of the hospital's Visitors Board, suggested speaking to the School Board of nearby SM Tiong Hua for permission to use their new multi-purpose hall parking lot for a minimal charge.
HPUC member Amy, who is also a member of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, volunteered to speak to the school authorities about the proposal.
Noting that the scope of responsibility of Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) was very broad, Dr Francis suggested that certain measures could be taken to reduce the cost of SMC's work.
He suggested that government departments and the public sector could be encouraged to adopt some ‘taman' or parks whereby they will be responsible to clean and maintain these places. Otherwise the council would be overstressed having to do all the work by themselves.
“The visit to HDOK was an eyeopener whereby we got to know in much greater detail the enormous and yet delicate duties that rest on the shoulders of the management, doctors, nurses and supporting staff at HDOK,” said Taren Sunil, expressing his appreciation.