KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA: About 90 per cent of the patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which was declared unsafe, have been evacuated.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, who was at the hospital, said he was satisfied with the consulting company's findings and the evacuation.

"I came here to see the conditions as reported by the consultants. I hope the evacuation will be a smooth process," he said.

A staff member said patients on the sixth floor, which houses the female surgical ward, and the fifth floor, which houses the ear, nose and throat, dental and ophthalmology ward, have been evacuated.

The other wards at the eight-storey building are still occupied.
The seventh floor had been vacant for a while.

The operating theatre is also not in use and the hospital is only treating emergency cases.

Patients at the tower block have been referred to other government hospitals such as the Likas, Beaufort and Keningau hospitals.

The authorities are considering renting or buying space at private hospitals nearby, such as the Sabah Medical Centre.

Dr Ismail said he hoped the evacuation would be completed soon so as not to deprive Sabahans of health services.

Last month, Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai had announced that engineers from the Ikram Group Sdn Bhd had declared the tower block, podium, forensics building and boiler room unsafe.

The 27-year-old tower block has 250 beds and facilities, including eight surgery rooms, ICU wards, radiology services and a pharmacy.

Dr Ismail said future plans for a hospital would be discussed at the cabinet next week. These include the proposal by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman for a new hospital in the city centre.

Hospital staff were relieved that action was finally being taken as they feared the building may collapse.

Falling concrete particles and cracks started surfacing in wards and toilets eight years ago.