KK hospital to better communicate with public over its services

Photo by Sualim Gopog Facebook post

KOTA KINABALU: A government hospital here will better coordinate information with the public to improve its services.

"Sabah Health department and Queen Elizabeth hospital (HQE) remain committed to ensuring the delivery of safe, compassionate and continuous healthcare services to all patients, while continuously improving facilities and enhancing the overall experience of the public.

"As part of its improvement measures, HQE will strengthen monitoring of the lobby, public corridors and waiting areas at night; better coordinate information on cafeteria operating hours; and improve communication with patients and their families regarding waiting procedures and treatment priorities at the Emergency and Trauma department (ETD)," according to a statement by the department.

The authority was responding to a viral post related to photographs of alleged crowded ETD whereby the public had to wait for long hours.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GBcrks5Rx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

At the ETD, patients would be treated according to the severity of their condition through the triage system with critical cases given immediate priority rather than solely based on their queue number.

"On that night , ETD services operated as usual with a continuous flow of patients.

"In the Green Zone alone, 42 patients were recorded between 9.00pm and 10.00am, with two medical officers on duty in the zone."

As for the photograph of public sleeping in the hospital lobby and corridors at night, preliminary checks found that they were family members, caregivers or visitors instead of patients.

They are from outside the district and rural interior areas who faced difficulties securing temporary accommodation outside the hospital.
"The hospital has a visitor's hall. However, it is still insufficient to accommodate the large number of patients' relatives.

"The hospital understands the circumstances and challenges faced by patients' families, particularly those who travel from distant locations."

The HQE cafeteria operates 24 hours a day, except for a scheduled closure every Saturday from 12.00am to 5.00am to allow for routine cleaning.

"JKNS also acknowledges that parking facilities at HQE can be limited at certain times, particularly when there is a high number of patients, family members and visitors.

"The hospital will continue to monitor traffic flow and parking management in collaboration with its security personnel to reduce congestion within the limitations of the existing facilities."