Plans for permanent Sabah Heart Centre
Published on: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
By: Crystal E Hermenegildus
James, who is also State Health Exco, said at the moment, only a portion of the QEH2 building will be upgraded into a heart centre.
Kota Kinabalu: Plans are afoot to build a permanent Sabah Heart Centre, said State Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib.
He said the Government had gazetted a 10-acre plot in Likas for the purpose, but he prefers the Heart Centre to be close to Queen Elizabeth Hospital II (QEH2).
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“We have identified a piece of land behind QEH2, currently under the ownership of Tanah Khazanah.
“I understand that negotiations are ongoing with Khazanah on the construction of the proposed Heart Centre,” he said at his Ministry’s Hari Raya Open House at Wisma Tun Fuad, here, Monday.
James was asked about the Prime Minister’s recent announcement on the establishment of Sabah Heart Centre.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said QEH2 will be rebranded as a designated heart centre, along with a RM80 million allocation for additional heart specialists and equipment upgrades to enhance healthcare services in the State Capital.
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James, who is also State Health Exco, said at the moment, only a portion of the QEH2 building will be upgraded into a heart centre.
“However, having a new permanent building and equipment would be meaningless without the necessary expertise in heart-related conditions,” he said.
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On another development, James regretted the slow pace in the execution of federal development plans in the State.
“Most federal projects in the State faced delays due to land issues,” he said, adding it would be more efficient for the Federal Government to privatise these projects to expedite their completion.
“We have had two meetings just to brief them on land matters. Land matters have been the major problem hampering development in Sabah,” he said.
James, who is also Sugud Assemblyman, also said the Federal Government should privatise the construction of the blood bank in Sabah.
He said RM86 million had been allocated for the facility as part of the 12th Malaysia Plan Rolling Plan 3, but faced setbacks due to bureaucracy.
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