Dr Ismail (second, left) and Labuan Nucleus Hospital’s specialists visit a diabetic patient undergoing dialysis at the haemodialysis unit yesterday. The hospital is now equipped with 26 haemodialysis machines to cater to the needs of 90 patients with 20 more in queue.
LABUAN: The Labuan Nucleus Hospital has improved its services with additional facilities, equipment and specialists.
Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismail Ali said the improvement was a follow-up action to the government’s call in upgrading the standard of medical care services.
“We have improved our services since the last two years with additional medical care facilities and specialists, and we must not be complacent about what we have now, but continue to further improve the facilities to cater for the increasing demand,” he said during a dialogue with the media at the Labuan Nucleus Hospital yesterday.
He said the hospital currently has nine medical specialist officers serving in the eight major specialist units, namely Anesthesiology, Orthopedic, Radiology, Pediatric, Emergency and Trauma, Medical (two specialists), Obstetrics and Gynecology and General Surgery.
The hospital is also now equipped with a CT Scanner, 26 haemodialysis machines, stress test machine, echocardiogram, ultrasound, brain surgery instrument, children ventilator, bronchoscope, colonoscopy, funduscope (an instrument for examining the interior structures of the eye), pleuroscope (for diagnosis and therapy for pleural effusions), Holter machine (a wearable device that keeps track of heart rhythm), copolscopy, incubator (for premature children), infant warmer and lung function test.
“The additional instrument has reduced the number of patients here to be referred to the hospital in the mainland of Sabah,” Dr Ismail said.
The hospital’s radiologist, Dr Zaharuddin Harun, confirmed since the installation of the Computed Tomography Scanner (CT scanner) in the hospital middle of 2014, 780 patients have undergone the CT scan test this year, compared to some 380 patients last year.
Dr Ismail said the although Labuan Nucleus Hospital was still a minor hospital, it had long been utilised by outstation patients (expatriates) and patients outside of Labuan from Lawas and Limbang, Sarawak, Sipitang, Menumbok and Beaufort, Sabah for its facilities like CT scanner, echocardiogram and stress test machine.
Medical specialist Dr Vinoth Kasi Rajan confirmed a total of 443 patients had undergone the echo test last year. (Echo test is to look at people heart’s structure and check how well their heart is working.)
To further improve the hospital’s services, the State Labuan Health Department has forwarded a proposal for additional two specialists of psychiatrist and optometrist.
“Currently we only have a visiting optometrist, but very soon the optometrist will be permanently based in our hospital to serve the increasing number of cataract patients, and as what the medical specialist Dr Vinoth has recommended the need for psychiatrist is to serve patients with mental disorder or depression, as Labuan is secluded from the mainland,” he said.
Dr Ismail said the proposal to equip the hospital with ambulance boat would eventually materialise, as the Labuan Marine Department has agreed to hand over its operation boat for the purpose.
“We are working very hard to materialise it as that (sea transport) is the only cheaper cost of transfer we can think of. The cost for the transfer of patients from Labuan to Menumbok is around RM6,000 per trip which is expensive, but this service is a mercy sailing operation by the Marine Department or Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA),” he said, adding that the proposed ambulance boat would help reduce the journey and cost.
The Labuan Health Department requires at least RM120,000 to fully equip the proposed ambulance boat with basic medical care support facilities and instruments.
Labuan Hospital director Dr Adnan Musa Balidran said the hospital was moving in tandem with the current and future medical needs.
He said a comprehensive development plan was in the pipeline to turn the hospital into a fully-equipped hospital with additional blocks for additional specialists and instruments.
Dr Ismail said this was part of his department’s long-term plan to turn the hospital into a major hospital with better facilities on par with other major hospitals in other states.
“We are still finalising the working paper to be submitted to the Ministry of Health for consideration. The ministry is fully aware of the hospital’s needs, and we hope it will be included in the Third Rolling Plan under the 11th Malaysia Plan,” he said.
Dr Ismail said a number of requirements listed in the working paper included Burn Unit (for patients suffered of burn injuries), first class ward, additional of four operating theaters (for surgical operations), wards for pediatric, medical, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G), Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and eye.
“We also proposed for the upgrading of our existing rehabilitation unit and maxillofacillary (for Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, the emergency and trauma for emergency and disaster cases, construction of staff quarters and parking lots,” he said.