KOTA KINABALU: Around 100 wooden health clinics in the state were replaced with concrete buildings within two years, explained Sabah Community Development and People’s Well-being Minister (KPMKR), Datuk James Ratib.
According to him, the state of health clinics in Sabah at this point is a shameful for the state, considering that in other states, they have been replaced with new concrete buildings.
“There are about 100 health clinics in Sabah that are made of wood, but in the Peninsula, Sarawak, there are no more wooden clinics.
“Only Sabah has it, isn’t this a shame for us. I myself went to the field to see the wooden clinics. We will complete (replace with concrete) in 2025. There will be no more wooden clinics,” he said.
James added that the poor condition of health clinic buildings in the state is not only in rural areas but can also be seen in urban areas including Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu.
“The situation in the city is also poor. Look at Tuaran and Luyang, the buildings are cracked here and there. That’s in urban areas, what else in the countryside.
Some have no stairs, no tanks, the roads are also bad.
“It’s such a shame. After 60 years of independence, there are still poor clinics made of wood and when I meet at the ministry in Putrajaya, Sabah alone has many wooden clinics. Sometimes I close my eyes because I’m ashamed,” he said.
James added that due to the state of the health infrastructure provided in Sabah not being upgraded, government officials and staff did not want to be assigned to the state.
“That’s why many government employees from the peninsula and Sarawak don’t want to come to Sabah, sometimes they just unwillingly had to come here. That’s also why we lack doctors and nurses,” he said.
Accordingly, he is committed to voicing and working to bring about change by providing the best health infrastructure for the people in this state.
James who is also a member of the Sugut State Legislative Assembly (DUN) said this in a press conference at his office at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephen, on Monday.
Meanwhile, he who is also the Sabah State Health EXCO warned the staff of the Federal and state government departments not to procrastinate in providing facilities for the people of Sabah.
The stern warning was made following the issue of land gazetting for the construction of a health clinic in the state which had not been applied for in the past 30 years, including a clinic that recently caught fire in Beluran.
“Recently I visited the Tangkarason Health Clinic that burned down and we have taken action to continue building a new clinic to replace the destroyed wooden clinic.
“However, what is hindering us is that the land has not yet been applied for by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM), that is, it has not been applied for gazetting by the Federal Land Commissioner (PTP) according to records from the Land and Survey Department (JTU) Beluran,” he said.
According to James, when the time came for the process of building a new building it could not be implemented due to the issue of land gazetting that had been going on for decades.
“This is a very sad matter, imagine that the clinic has been built for over 30 years but has not yet been requested by the Ministry of Health through PTP, so I want to know what is the role of this commissioner in Sabah?
“Are these people eating blind wages, are these people just taking a salary and not wanting to work.
“That is the new Tangkarason Health Clinic, as well as the clinic in Mansiad in Sook where the land has been applied for since 1979 but recently when we brought it up in a meeting with JTU, the land had just been offered and the Mansiad Health Clinic could not be built before because land is not yet available,” he said.
Accordingly, he wants government employees to understand their role and continue to perform their assigned duties.
“I ask PTP who is responsible for these lands to be able to gazette the land, not to sit quietly.
“This is not good for Sabah. If they don’t want to work, give it to someone else. Don’t trouble the people, don’t trouble the government.
“I, as a minister, am quite angry because not only that but some clinics cannot be built because of this land problem,” he said.
