KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The federal government has approved an RM10.8 million allocation for the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan, Sabah, to buy new medical equipment and to construct a new building.
Bernama reported Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng as saying that RM7.4 million was for the government hospital to replace damaged medical equipment, while RM3.4 million was to construct a new building to keep medical records and to house a new ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic.
“The RM6 million of the allocation is from Finance Ministry, while RM4.8 million is from the Health Ministry.
“Apart from improving the hospital facilities, this provision is also for the purchase of medical equipment needed by the hospital, such as the MRI machine, which is expected to be completed next year worth RM3 million, portable ultrasound machine worth RM300,000, and two sets of craniotomy worth RM500,000,” Lim was quoted telling reporters in Sandakan.
The DAP leader reportedly said the site for a new building to solve the Sandakan hospital’s parking problems, which will be built via privatisation, has been identified.
“The approval of this provision is expected to improve the quality of services provided to patients, while improving the quality of life of more than 400,000 residents in Sandakan,” Lim was quoted saying.
The problem of insufficient parking at the Duchess of Kent Hospital became a campaign issue during the Sandakan by-election that Pakatan Harapan candidate Vivian Wong from the DAP later won in a landslide victory.