Government to build 500 clinics

STar: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry plans to build 500 health and village clinics to meet the needs of a growing population under the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Hulu Langat and Petaling in Selangor had the highest population but the number of clinics was small.
“Under the 9MP, we will also upgrade the facilities and equipment in certain clinics,” he said.
Dr Chua said the Cabinet had given approval to clinics to operate from shoplots as well as the setting-up of mobile clinics in areas that needed healthcare services.
He said this would overcome the problem of acquiring land to build hospitals and clinics.
“For instance, Jinjang has a population of 300,000 but it only has a health clinic and if we want to build a hospital, we need to look for a proper piece of land,” he said, adding that the ratio of population against the number of health clinics should be reviewed.
Dr Chua said this after visiting the health clinic in Jinjang.
The clinic’s medical officer-in-charge, Dr Inthirani Sivarajah, said the clinic had limited facilities such as computers, an ambulance and other vehicles.
“There is an average of 380 patients here a day and we need to upgrade our facilities,” she said, adding that the clinic had only one ambulance at present.
She said the clinic, built in 1977, was upgraded at a cost of RM21mil in May.
She added that the clinic also trained medical students from International Medical University and other colleges.