Media statement by Dr. Hiew King Cheu in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday, 27^th March 2012:

Tenom hospital needs doctors

The question on why only one doctor serving in the Tenom Hospital was raised in Parliament. I brought up the question on the 20^th of March. I asked the Minister of Health regarding this issue, and what is the measure that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is going to take to improve the situation, and also to make sure the health of the Tenom people are taken good care of.

The reply said that Tenom Hospital is a district hospital now without any specialist doctors, and having 92 sick beds. In 2011, the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) in the hospital is 36.7%, and there were some 150 out patients seeking treatment here daily.

As up to date, there is 4 medical officers working in this hospital, with the help of 62 nurses and 18 medical assistants. The three positions here are fully filled up to 94.38%. On providing the service of the specialist doctors here, MOH will arrange soon for the specialist doctor to join the service for Obstetric and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, physical, pharmacist, Orthopedic, Pediatric, Psychiatric, and Hematology.

The total permanent staffs and doctors needed to manage the Tenom Hospital is following the policies based on the Bed Occupation Rate and the number of out patients to determine the number of specialist doctors required. The objective for Tenom Hospital is to ensure a good medical service to the Tenom people.

If the shortage of the doctors can be met, it is really good news for the people in Tenom. In the true fact, I doubt the MOH is serious to do what they have said in the reply. The number of specialist doctors to be sent to fill the various hospital departments as mentioned is questionable, because there is just one doctor in the whole hospital now. We wonder how the MOH can send all these specialist doctors to work in the Tenom Hospital. We hope it is not another empty promise for the election, just making the people to believe that they are doing something.

It is not just putting a few more specialist doctors to work in the Tenom Hospital, but MOH should also bring in the necessary equipments like the CT scan, x-ray machine and all the required tools and equipments for the specialist doctors to perform their job effectively and efficiently to save lives.

It is important to take good care of the people's health, and to cure their sickness, and it is the duty of the government.

* Dr Hiew King Cheu, MP for Kota Kinabalu