Materia Medica Malaysiana

Hospitals, Highways, Bridge And Varsity Among 215 Problematic Projects

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- Four hospitals, four highway stretches, a bridge and a university are the bigger of 215 projects nationwide that are regarded as problematic, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Monday.
He told the Dewan Negara that generally the government had taken appropriate measures, including appointing new contractors and rescheduling the construction period, to complete these projects.

The hospitals were those in Sungai Buluh, Sungai Petani, Alor Star and Ampang

The minister said the Sungai Buluh Hospital should have been completed by Oct 31 last year but the project was stalled by technical problems, and several installations were inadequate and medical equipment had yet to be supplied.

The ceiling-mounted microscope in the main opthalmological operating theatre would be installed by May 31 while the supply of medical equipment was expected to be completed next month, he added.

Samy Vellu said the delay in the construction of the Alor Star and Sungai Petani hospitals was due to a shortage of workers following the recent repatriation of illegal foreign workers, as well as additional scope of work in certain sections.

The period of construction of the Alor Star Hospital, work on which started on Aug 16, 2000 and was scheduled to be completed on Dec 15, 2003, had been extended to June 14 this year, he said, adding that work on the Sungai Petani Hospital had been extended to May 5. It was scheduled to have been completed on Feb 8 last year.

He also said that the Ampang Hospital, scheduled for completion on Oct 15 last year, had its construction period extended to April 30 this year following additional technical requirements to meet the functional needs of the hospital.