Lahad Datu Hospital needs more specialists

He said the placement of more specialists at the hospital was necessary to prepare for emergencies like earthquake.

"The departments which are in critical need of specialist are surgery and paediatric, apart from the psychiatry, ophthalmology and otohinolaryngology departments," he told a media conference here yesterday.

He suggested every department to have at least two specialists.

According to Tan, the hospital currently has 10 medical specialists, including at the orthopaedic and radiology departments.

Tan said the shortage of specialists at the hospital had caused concern among the local community for fear that they would have to be sent to other hospitals far away, like in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau or Sandakan.

He also suggested that the security system at the hospital to be enhanced to ensure safety of the patients there.

"Closed circuit television cameras are necessary to assist the hospital authority to monitor security at the hospital ground," he added.