The government is not prepared in the face of "mega catastrophes" such as the flood disaster that recently hit the East Coast, a minister has admitted.

 

Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam said the government had difficulty in managing the situation after the rising waters overwhelmed existing infrastructures.

 

"We all admit that we were not ready to face a flood of this intensity. We could (only) manage a flood of normal intensity," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

 

However, he said the government is studying what had gone wrong in order to improve its readiness to face future huge disasters. 

 

"It is a learning curve for all of us, and I'm sure that it is an experience for the government, to see how we can manage mega catastrophes," he said.

 

His own ministry will be looking into ways to be self-reliant when facing future calamities, including making sure health facilities have generators, water filters and water supply.

 

He said this after being asked if the cabinet had discussed the situation at the Kuala Krai hospital during its meeting yesterday.

 

The doctors there had to work in dire conditions after the hospital plunged into darkness for at least six days when generators ran out of fuel.

 

Damage to government health facilities including the Kuala Krai Hospital and at least 20 other clinics hit hardest by the floods are currently estimated to be RM270 million.

 

The floods that battered the East Coast starting December is said to be the worse in decades, killing 22 people and displacing more than 200,000 people at its peak.