“What’s happening at DoK may lead to loss of lives. A public hospital is about taking care of people’s lives.”

It’s the basic responsibility of the government, he added. “If the government cannot upgrade healthcare facilities at a public hospital, it means that it has completely failed.”

“DoK suffers, for one, from a shortage of ambulances. They have only five when they should have at least seven such vehicles.”

Delving into details, Wong lamented that the five operation theatres at the hospital had been under renovation for more than a year with no sign when the works would be completed. “The patients are now forced to use two operation theatres located at the old block of the hospital.”

“One of them can perform normal surgeries. The other one has been reserved for emergency operations. Many patients, who are eagerly waiting for their operations, have to put up with long queues and repeatedly postponed operations.”

Wong noted that patients are even being sent to the Lahad Datu and Tawau Hospitals for operations because of the lack of proper facilities at the DoK. “I am really upset about this. I want the Federal Government and the MoH to speed up the renovation of the operation theatres.”

Another issue, continued Wong, was the malfunctioning lifts at the hospital complex. “The MoH approved RM500,000 to replace one of the lifts. The other two lifts cannot be used. It merely costs RM1.5 million to replace all three lifts.”

“These lifts were built in 1999 when the building was completed. Now, they are in an aged and very bad condition.”

Again, said the MP, the 18 dialysis machines at DoK were in an aged condition and need to be replaced immediately. “Patients are forced to go to private hospitals where the fees are extremely expensive.”

“Not everyone can afford to go to a private hospital. Those who cannot afford have to wait and suffer in the meantime.”