A Dose of Medical News #3.2.2 - Sabah Government Buying Sabah Medical Centre?

This is a subject that has polarised medical, public and political opinion alike for the last few years. Many a conspiracy theorist has been talking about it and at the moment we are never nearer the resolution. The bottom line is, QEH is struggling to cope with patient load not helped by the much publicised 'crack' on the building wall. Any move forward is welcomed at the moment because it is the public who are suffering. Here is a piece from a local daily;

KOTA KINABALU: The state government does not object to the Health Ministry acquiring the privately-owned Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) as an immediate measure to overcome the acute hospital bed shortage in the city.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said Sabah had no qualms if the cost was “reasonable.”

Replying to a question from Datuk Ramlee Marahaban (BN – Buggaya), Musa told the Sabah State Assembly yesterday that the state wanted the ministry to consider its suggestion of taking over the disused Wisma Khidmat and converting it into a medical centre.

The bed shortage resulted from the abrupt closure of the main tower block of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) following the discovery of serious structural problems.

After the closure of the 20-year-old block that also housed operating theatres, the patients were transferred to SMC and Likas Hospital as well as hospitals in nearby districts including Beaufort, Papar, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Kuala Penyu and Keningau, Musa said.

He said the ministry allocated some RM70mil for the cost of transferring patients from QEH to nearby hospitals.

I don't think it is m place to comment any further.