MEETING: Chong arrives at the SGH to seek explanation on the simulator which has broke down more than a month ago, resulting in 11 cancer patients having to wait to undergo planning session.
KUCHING: The one and only conventional planning simulator, a machine used to establish treatment fields on cancer patients, at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) is expected to be fixed next week.
After a meeting with the doctor-in-charge at the Planning and Simulation Department yesterday, state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the replacement part would arrive next Monday before the machine can be fixed.
“We have received complaints that the simulator has broken down over a month ago but there was no urgency on part of the hospital to get the machine fixed,” he said.
“Hopefully, the simulator will be up and ready by next week and we will follow up on this,” he added.
Noting that it was the only simulator to cater to the needs of cancer patients statewide, Chong pressed that “Sarawak definitely deserves a better healthcare facility to improve access for patients.”
According to him, there are 11 cancer patients in the wait list to undergo the planning session at the hospital.
A planning session called a ‘simulation’ is conducted to set up a treatment plan and determine the treatment area on cancer patients before radiation therapy can start.
“The slow reaction of the hospital is causing unnecessary worries and frustrations to the patients and their family members for they want to have treatment as soon as possible to prevent the cancer cells from spreading,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, it was reported in The Borneo Post on Friday that a breast cancer patient from Bintulu seeking treatment at SGH had been waiting for almost two months to fix an appointment to undergo simulation.
The complainant, who is a family member of the patient known as Chang, believed the delay resulted from the breakdown of the machine and blamed the hospital for its failure to provide alternative arrangement such as referring patients to the SGH Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan.
Chang said the SGH director Dr Abdul Rahim Abdullah had stated that there were arrangements made for patients to be treated at SGH Heart Centre.
Instead of waiting, Chong suggested that the cancer patients, accompanied by welfare officers, to be flown in to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to undergo simulation, which would only take about two days.
“However, they think it will not be cost effective plus it has not reached that state of emergency yet to send them there,” he said.
Chong expressed disappointment that there was no sense of urgency and responsibility to increase and improve efficiencies in healthcare delivery.
“I will raise this matter in the Parliament,” he added.