It's only a matter of time before the sales and purchase agreement (S&P) for the takeover of the privately-run Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) in Kota Kinabalu is signed on the dotted line. However, the question on whether the hospital will be state- or Federal-owned remains open.

mca party election nomination day 131008 01 liow tiong lai Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai (left) , who paid SMC a visit yesterday, added a shocker when he casually mentioned that SMC will officially belong to the state government.

He did add that however, "it was up to the state government whether to revive its Ministry of Health portfolio." Liow could not say why the state government, and not, the Federal government should own SMC.

His statement has raised speculation of the revival of Sabah's very own health ministry. From 1965 to 1967, healthcare used to be a state matter in Sabah, but was absorbed into the Federal government's portfolio.

Currently, the Sabah state government has an 18 percent stake in SMC.

State ownership of SMC can only mean the state government forking out the purchase consideration for the SMC. It's unlikely that the Federal government would buy SMC and vest its ownership in the state government.

In the wake of Liow's visit, speculation has been brewing that the purchase of SMC could be financed from the RM1 billion additional Federal fund promised to Sabah last May by ex-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Abdullah had then confessed that the billion-ringgit pledge was his way of saying "thank you" to the people of Sabah for keeping his government in power in the wake of last year's political tsunami.

Sabah's public healthcare - a headache

This is the second time that the Health Ministry is taking over premises owned by the SMC. The first takeover, which happened some years ago, resulted in the creation of the Likas Women's and Children's Hospital.

hospital heart surgery patients Liow confirmed that the progress on the S&P is currently being vetted by a legal team in Kota Kinabalu.

He added that certain quarters in Sabah are trying to politise the issue of public healthcare in the state for their political mileage and propaganda purposes. "The Federal government is willing to cooperate and assist in the provision of health services to the people of Sabah," he said.

Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu claimed that he had suggested the revival of the state Health Ministry recently during a courtesy call on Liow in Kuala Lumpur recently and the latter had "agreed in principle", describing public healthcare in Sabah as a "severe headache".

Hiew said he has passed on the message to Assistant Minister Edward Khoo, also a MCA leader, to start the ball rolling for the proposed takeover of SMC.

The purchase price of SMC, according to Liow, would be RM280 million, not RM245 million as previously announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. He did not explain the discrepancy in the figures.

"There's a little bit of mistake in the PM's announcement (earlier). So, he asked me to do the (new) announcement," said Liow. "An additional RM90 million would be spent on refurbishment and renovation to bring the total to RM370 million."

According to Liow, part of the RM90 million would be used to renovate the top two floors of the SMC to create more wards to accommodate more beds to a total number of 455 beds. The renovation would be completed within six months of signing the S&P.

"The additional beds are to ensure that the people of Sabah get quality medical care," said Liow.

Sabah's own cardiac centre

queen elizabeth hospital kota kinabalu 251008 He said the removed premises would be named later, indirectly saying it would not be known as Queen Elizabeth General Hospital (QEH) (left) , which would continue to be at its present site. The tower block of QEH was decanted last October after it was declared unsafe. The patients were distributed to various other hospitals including the SMC.

Elsewhere, Liow disclosed that the proposed twin tower block at the QEH would proceed as planned under the current 9th Malaysia Plan.

He confirmed that the abandoned podium and tower block at QEH would be demolished but there are no immediate plans for the site. "The question of keeping the podium block does not arise. It would be too expensive to repair and maintain it," said Liow. "Our engineers are looking at it (the demolishment)."

Sabahans can also take heart from Liow's announcement that a cardiac centre will be established at the renovated SMC premises. "When the cardiac centre is ready, Sabah will be the fifth regional heart centre in the country under the Ministry of Health," said Liow. "They can use the existing Cathlab, operating theatres, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and wards at the SMC to commence cardiology and cardiothoracic services."

"When the cardiac centre is ready, patients need no longer travel to Peninsular Malaysia or Kuching for cardiothoracic services."

A dedicated heart centre team has been trained since last year and would be ready to start services by the end of this year. Tertiary services including coronary stenting, pacemaker, heart and lung surgery, coronary by-pass and valve replacement would also be made available.