The people of Sri Aman are questioning the government’s sincerity now that  the  RM200 millin budget for the new  Sri Aman Hospital has been slashed to RM150 million.

“The people are not only angry over the budget cut for the hospital but also regard the reduction as absolutely unacceptable,” said Sarawak DAP Vice-Chairperson Leon Jimat Donald today.

The government had approved the project in 2009 at a cost of RM200 million and the project should have been completed by 2013.

Suppposed to be equipped with up-to-date medical facilities such as operating theatres, haemodialysis and radiotherapy, the 108-bed hospital  was to replace the current hospital which has been in operation since 1959,  well before the formation of Malaysia.

“After a delay of six years, we are now told that the hospital will only cost RM150 million,” said Leon.

He was commenting on the announcment made by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in February this year that the cost of the hospital had been reduced to RM150 million and was now expected to be completed only by 2016.

This was a far cry from the amount of RM200 million announced by the prime minister in 2011 just before the state elections then, said Leon (pix, above right ) in a statement.

“This reduction is absolutely unacceptable considering the low cost of materials over the years and the delay will further burden the people of Sri Aman who are in need of medical treatment,” he said.

Election gimmick

Leon also noted that as far as the project was concerned, nothing had been done since the laying of the foundation stone on Feb 27 by the prime minister.

He said the delay was one of the causes for the many deaths in the locality as seriously ill people couldn't be rushed in time to the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching which was more than 200km away.

Leon said: “It is indeed an extremely painful wait for the people of Sri Aman. How much longer do the people have to wait for a new hospital?”

The population of Sri Aman has grown to more than 200,000.

The proposed hospital became a hot issue in the 2011 state elections as well as in the 2013 parliamentary elections.

DAP had then said the hospital project had been used to hoodwink the people before the 2011 state elections with prime minister promising the people that it would be completed by October 2013.

Nothing happened and the project was again used to fish for votes for BN in the 2013 parliamentary elections, the party said.

Sarawak government medical authorities were not available for comment.