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TAWAU: Tawau Hospital will become the referral centre for heart patients from Sabah’s east coast once its Invasive Cardiac Laboratory (ICL) project is implemented soon, the first such facility in the region.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the site and infrastructure for the equipment had been identified and he hoped it could be supplied without delay. 

“The tender will be issued within the next month or two,” he told reporters after inspecting progress on the ICL during his visit to Tawau Hospital on Thursday.

Earlier, he launched the hospital’s Pharmacy Park & Take service, aimed at reducing waiting times and easing access for senior citizens, while helping to ease congestion at pharmacy counters.

Dr Dzulkefly said the ICL would enable treatment times for heart attack patients to be reduced to under 90 minutes for primary PCI procedures. 

The lab will offer diagnostic procedures such as coronary angiography, right and left heart catheterisation, interventional treatment and related services.

Previously, critical heart patients from the east coast had to be referred to treatment centres as far as Kota Kinabalu, causing delays and higher risks. 

The new facility is expected to save both time and costs by avoiding long-distance transfers.

Dr Dzulkefly also opened the upgraded Maternal and Child Health (MCH) building at Merotai Besar Health Clinic, featuring larger consultation rooms, a safer and more mother-friendly delivery room and improved facilities for children. 

He also launched a Mobile Pharmacy initiative by an NGO to deliver medicines directly to patients’ homes using motorcycles.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will increase manpower and conduct urgent infrastructure repairs at Lahad Datu Hospital to improve service delivery and patient safety.

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the hospital, classified as a minor specialist facility with 13 areas of expertise, needs additional staff to meet operational demands.

“We have identified 13 medical officers for the first phase of deployment, with seven more to follow in the second phase,” he said according to Bernama. 

Dr Dzulkefly highlighted critical upgrades, including overdue repairs to the Labour Ward, scheduled under Rolling Plan 1 of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

“I have personally observed structural cracks in the Labour Ward that have persisted for years. This is a safety issue that cannot be compromised,” he said.

He added that outdated facilities will also be refurbished as a priority.