Kota Kinabalu: The Lions Club and Hospital Queen Elizabeth (HQE) carried out the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Therapeutic Garden which will be located within hospital grounds.
“This project, led by the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Downtown in collaboration with Lions Club Keningau Downtown, aims to bring comfort, peace and healing to the people who need it most.
“While hospitals focus on medical treatment, we believe that nature also plays an important role in healing the heart and mind,” said Lions Club of KK Downtown Immediate Past President Kennard Koh, who is also the Organising Chairman, in his welcoming speech on Monday.
He said the Therapeutic Garden will serve as a peaceful and tranquil reprieve for patients undergoing rehabilitation or living with disabilities, families and visitors, healthcare workers, students and trainees from the emotional turmoils they may face.
He added that the estimated 13,230sq feet garden will also incorporate accessibility and safety features to serve the needs of the hospital’s community.
“It will include wheelchair-friendly pathways, therapeutic landscaping and designated areas that allow users to rest, reflect and regain a sense of calm within a clinical environment,” he said.
District 308-A2 Second Vice District Governor Alyssa Lim also stressed that healing goes beyond the physical.
“Mental and emotional wellbeing matters in a place where stress and emotional pressure runs high, and this Therapeutic Garden reflects this belief in a tangible way,” she said.
The garden will be located in an under-utilised area at the front of the Post Graduate Medical Centre (PGMC) building.
When asked in an interview, President Christina Hwong reassured that the garden will be built with privacy in mind, ensuring that the area is secluded and protected despite being across the emergency bay.
“We also have to keep all existing electrical instruments intact. However, we will strive to ensure that the environment of the garden is conducive and accessible for all,” she said.
Meanwhile, HQE1 Finance, Procurement and Human Resources Section Head Abdul Manap Ali Omar said the garden will be separated into five zones, namely Zon Sentosa, Zon Damai, Zon Harmoni, Zon Aman and Zon Tenang, whereby each section will be managed by different departments within the hospital.
“This project is not only merely intended to beautify the hospital environment, but also to contribute to the overall improvement of patients’ wellbeing, while providing a therapeutic medium and a relaxing space for hospital staff to alleviate the work-related stress they experience.
“We are confident that the Therapeutic Garden will become a valuable asset to the hospital and our community,” he said.
Also present at the ceremony was Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia founding member Robert Goh OBE.
