My 34 : Kota Marudu (Ep 2) - More Pictures

Scenic paddy-field in Kota Marudu

From left : Kampung Ulu Kukut - located in Kota Belud but most vehicles that plan to go to Kudat division including Kota Marudu and Pitas will through this rough road; examples of the road - most of the time if I travelled to Kota Kinabalu, I need to fix my car's absorber

From left : the weekly 'tamu' in Kota Marudu; it will be flooded once in 4-5 months, so bad that sometimes patient unable to come to hospital

From left : the 'Carrefour / Tesco' of Kota Marudu - More Chance; the only mosque in Kota Marudu

From left : it's quite far from the town itself; my rented house in Kota Marudu - the main problem is water!, every house in Kota Marudu will require extra water-tank

From left : the hospital main building - small yet one of the busiest district hospital in Sabah; two 'mascots' in Kota Marudu - posisang and corn, we even have Annual Corn Fest with Queen of Corn elected among the local girls ;p

Sloppy road to Kota Marudu

My 33 : Kota Marudu (Ep 1) - Good Memories Remained

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."
- Kevin Arnold

I wouldn't say that my stay too long, but I did enjoy Sabah. Even with less than 2 years a lot happened compare to my stay in Kuala Lumpur for my whole life. Sabah provides a lot of excitement, bet it either city or village, modern or traditional, concrete or jungle and many more.

In term of my practice, here I learned a lot compare to my Peninsular colleague. Here you can perform most of the surgical procedures, manage patients with limited facilities, learn without much pressure from your superior but more on the cases you see and plus, plus, plus. I do really miss Sabah, and I won't regret to be in Sabah - thanks to MOH that put me there. But I do regret I have to come back early nevertheless I do hope I can be back there as a specialist.

So here some of my memoirs about Kota Marudu, a lonely district in Kudat division - fame for Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili (the MP), corn and posisang! What? Posisang - yes a tiny smelly beetles that came-out during full-moon. They can turned white pole - to back pole.

From left : Hospital Kota Marudu or locally known as Hospital Lotong; hey - that's me!

From left : my room; with my dedicated director - Dr Zayrod, really adore his passion and hardworking. Best teacher and collegue.

My last surgical procedure - BTL. Here I learned a lot - LSCS, appendectomy, BTL, etc.

Below here are pictures with most of the staff, quite a small hospital with huge commitment. They are all my friends, teachers, mentor and everything. Miss all of you a lot!

Flag of Sabah

Mount Kinabalu - viewed from Kota Belud, I think this is the view they've taken for the flag of Sabah

The End of Ice Age???

It's been ages I haven't wrote in my blog.
Well give it NO TIME in Kota Marudu and then transferred back to KL - I need to improve my time management.

OK - being a Medical Officer in Kota Marudu its really challenging.
And I'm really salute those who spend their carrier in district especially in Sarawak and Sabah.
How can they survive - lack of facilities, need to make Life or Death decision on their own etc.

Kota Marudu ambulance - Accident happen even for ambulance. Blame it to bad road condition in rural Sabah.
I was escorting patient from KM to Kota Kinabalu, sitting at back and suddenly being sandwiched from front and back

So, for those who willing to take responsibility as a doctor - please think first as this job not just for fame and money. There a lot people there especially in the rural area need good doctors.

Ok - apart that I've been planning a trip (backpack) to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Bangkok this November. Just wanna show that as a Muslim, we can go to this area even though some say - hey how about your Halal food and space for pray? But nothing impossible as I see Islam IS A WAY OF LIFE, not restriction that we can't do anything. InsyaAllah I will share this trip with others.

p/s - there's good website www.zabihah.com as a reference for Muslim traveler in search for Halal food in almost every country in the world.

See you - Ma'as Salamah.