Sibu MP wants new hospital in constituency
SIBU needs a new public hospital as the current one is operating at full capacity with insufficient space and limited equipment.
Its MP Oscar Ling said the current hospital was the main referral centre for the central region of Sarawak, serving locals as well as patients from Dalat, Sarikei, Kapit, Song and Miri.
He called on the Federal Government to build a new hospital for Sibu and incorporate it under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Ling, in a statement, said the government should also ensure that the construction of the hospital was completed within the next five years.
He added that he had raised the matter during the parliamentary debate on the 13MP.
Ling described the proposal as not merely an investment in healthcare, but also an important step towards reducing the disparity in regional development.
'With medical demand increasing each year, the hospital is operating at full capacity, with insufficient space and limited equipment, making it increasingly difficult to provide the full range of specialised treatments required,' he said.
He noted that radiotherapy services were currently only available at Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.
'As a result, patients from central areas such as Kapit and Song are forced to travel long distances to Kuching, incurring substantial costs for transport and accommodation,' he said adding that this placed economic and psychological strain on patients.
Ling said central Sarawak, especially Sibu, required a fully developed oncology department.
'Alongside improved infrastructure, adequate numbers of qualified healthcare professionals are also necessary,' he added.
Ling said the Health Ministry had approved setting up an interventional cardiology unit at Hospital Sibu, which would greatly strengthen the region's capacity to treat heart disease.
However, he said its implementation depended on having a new hospital building that met modern standards.
'It would also enable cancer and heart disease patients to receive treatment locally.'
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