|
The idea of a medical
association for Sabah was first mooted in 1971. Previously, there had
been a few members of the British Medical Association who had tried to
form a temporary branch amongst the expatriate doctors who were working
with the colonial medical services. This attempt did not last for long.
There had also been feelers from the M.M.A. in Kuala Lumpur. However
nothing further arose from these enquiries
It was only in 1971
when an enthusiastic expatriate doctor, Richard Barrow, resigned from
Government service and entered private general practice, that efforts to
form an association for doctors in Sabah began in earnest. It was
realised that there was virtually no social contact between medical
personnel working in the medical department, and those who were G.P.s
working in private practice. There were no private specialists at that
time. Furthermore, the general practitioners had very little contact
with one another.
It was decided to
undertake a survey of all doctors in the State of Sabah, both government
and private, to determine the general support for such an association,
and also the preference for either a branch of the M.M.A., or a separate
independent association for Sabah. The services of Phoebe, the wife of
the private doctor, were enlisted. She was employed with Nestlé’s as
a mother craft nurse whose duties included traveling around the state
visiting doctors in their clinics. She brought a circular letter
inviting participation of a survey. Although figures cannot be
remembered now, and the details have not been preserved, the response
gave clear indication as to the direction things should be taken. There
was overwhelming support for the idea of forming an association, and a
clear mandate to form an independent Sabah medical organisation as
opposed to a branch of the Malaysian Medical Association.
Steps were then soon underway to
inaugurate a protem committee to draw up a constitution. This committee
comprised a cross-section of doctors who came from both the government
and private sectors. There were hospital specialists: a physician, a
surgeon and a psychiatrist, and also private general practitioners,
including both local and expatriate officers. Although a list of
objectives was devised, there were four major objects in the minds of
those who were keen for the association to be formed.
-
To
be a means of social contact for doctors
-
To
provide a vehicle to maintain agreed ethical standards for the
medical profession in Sabah;
-
To
exercise some sort of influence with regard to health in Sabah, both
towards the general public, and towards the Sabah State Government;
-
To
seek land in order to establish a professional centre for the
various state professional bodies.
The protem committee
included the following doctors: Alex Lo (Government Physician) as
President; James Han (Government Surgeon), Vice-President, Lai Kuen
Thong as Treasurer, Dipu Sarbadhikary (State Psychiatrist), Richard
Dingley (Ophthalmologist), while the author of this article, Richard
Barrow, was General Secretary.
The major task
undertaken in the first year following registration was an anti-smoking
campaign. This was launched by the then Minister, Datuk Sakaran Dandai,
by means of a poster competition and exhibition in the British Council
Library at what was the Wing-On Life Building in Kota Kinabalu. An
approach was made to MAS requesting a non-smoking area in all MAS
flights. This request was agreed to and subsequently implemented. Also a
regular monthly Saturday luncheon meeting was begun with a non-medical
speaker, in order to draw together members of the profession
The first Annual SAMA
Dinner was attended by our first Patron, the late Tun Pengiran Ahmad
Raffae, and addressed by the Minister of Public Works, Datuk Pang Tet
Tshung
|
king
for
