45-min boat ride to see a doctor: MP
Published on: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Andi said currently, residents in Kg Sungai Tamang and Sebatik Island in Tawau had to take a 45-minute boat ride just to get to Tawau Hospital for treatment.
Kuala Lumpur: Kalabakan Member of Parliament Datuk Andi Muhammad Surydady Bandy called for the construction of the Kg Sungai Tamang Health Clinic to be expedited to meet the health needs of the population in the area.He said currently, residents in Kg Sungai Tamang and Sebatik Island in Tawau had to take a 45-minute boat ride just to get to Tawau Hospital for treatment.
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According to him, the health clinic, which is categorised as a Sixth Class Health Clinic and is expected to cost RM30 million including the cost of the building, quarters and equipment, should have started construction in 2019.
However, the construction had to be delayed because there were several issues related to land ownership.
“Recently, I understand that this project has been in the final phase of structural design planning before it is implemented.
“Therefore, I would like to obtain an assurance from the Health Ministry, when is this project expected to be completed to meet the health needs of the local population, given that at this point, the population is facing difficulties in obtaining access to health and having to board a boat that takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get treatment at Tawau Hospital,” he said when debating at the Ministry of Health committee level in the Dewan Rakyat.
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Andi also asked the Ministry about the status of the plan to relocate the operation of the Tanjung Batu Darat Rural Clinic, which has been operating since the 1970s and is now obsolete, located at Jalan Imam Galundang, Taman Ria 6, to a new site at Taman Ria Height.
The move of this clinic to the new site is important to ensure comfort due to the growing capacity of the population in the surrounding area, he said.
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“I also want to ask if the Ministry plans to move the Semarak Health Clinic in Tawau to a new location considering that at the moment this clinic is operating in a shop lot area that is no longer suitable because of the increasing patient capacity resulting in patients having to wait in queue in the parking area to get treatment,” he said.
He also requested that the Ministry give approval to the application for the repair works of the Merotai Health Clinic, including the nine quarters units which are now too dilapidated and outdated.
“In addition, I request that the Ministry to approve the construction of a new building for the Family Health Unit and emergency and quarters at the Felda Umas Health Clinic which is also dilapidated,” he said, while requesting that the parking area of the Tawau Area Health Office be repaired and improved in terms of pavement and drainage due to frequent floods.
Andi, who is also a Tanjung Batu Assemblyman, requested that the number of ambulance equipped with medical and rescue needs be increased at the Kalabakan Rural Clinic to meet the needs of the population, considering that at the moment this clinic only has one ambulance and it is poorly equipped with medical and rescue equipment.
“In addition, the travel distance from Kalabakan to Tawau is 90 kilometres, which means it takes almost an hour more to get there. Therefore, an ambulance complete with medical and rescue equipment is definitely needed at critical times,” he said, while also asking when the new Tawau Hospital building will be fully operational.
Andi hopes that the issues related to the health of the people in his parliamentary constituency will receive appropriate attention from the Ministry.
“All trust is placed under the leadership of the Madani Government which is concerned with the needs of the people so that this issue can be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.
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