Kimanis needs own hospital – MP
KOTA KINABALU: There is a need for a hospital in the Kimanis parliamentary constituency to cater for the health and medical needs of the people there.
Its Member of Parliament Datuk Mohamad Hj Alamin said this is because residents in Kimanis which also comprises of state constituencies, Bongawan and Mengkabong are now seeking medical treatment at either Papar or Beaufort hospital.
He raised the issue of a hospital for Kimanis to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba during a courtesy call on the latter at his office on Tuesday.
“Patients with critical illness are referred to the Papar district or Beaufort district hospitals, both of which are located quite a distance from Kimanis. I brought the matter up to the attention of Datuk Seri Dr Adham and he asked me to refer and discuss the matter with the State Health Director so that it can be included in the 12th Malaysia Plan,” said Mohamad after the courtesy call.
Mohamad who is Umno Kimanis division Chief said he also forwarded an application to have the Bongawan Health Clinic and the Membakut Health Clinic upgraded.
There is a need for staff quarters at the Bongawan Health Clinic while the one in Mambakut is old and in need of more facilities as well as infrastructure, he said.
For the record, Membakut assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arifin Arif had previously raised the issue of upgrading the Health Clinic there before.
Mohd Arifin when contacted said in 2018 the federal government approved the allocation to construct a new Health Clinic at Membakut. However the Economic Affairs Ministry cancelled the project because of the delay in the tender process.
“I have raised this issue in the State Assembly Sitting and asked the state Government to submit the proposal to upgrade or build a hospital in Membakut,” he said adding that he supports the call by Kimanis Member of Parliament Mohamad and hopes the federal government will consider it.
Mohd Arifin also said that during the Kimanis by-election, he took the then Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali to visit the Membakut Health Clinic and had asked the latter to allow the implementation of the upgrading project to continue.