Chua Denies Army Has Taken Over Kota Tinggi Hospital

BATU PAHAT, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, Monday denied that the army has taken over the operation of the Kota Tinggi Hospital which is on the verge of being flooded.
He said the operation of the hospital was still under the ministry and the army had only sent a generator after the electricity supply at the hospital was disrupted.
"The army and Tenaga Nasional Berhad have restored electricity supply to the hospital with the use of the generator," he said.
Chua, who is the Member of Parliament for Labis, spoke to reporters after visiting flood victims in Yong Peng.
He said the outpatient department of the hospital had been closed and that there were 91 patients in the wards.
He also said that the hospital was cut off by road and that all critically ill patients had been transferred, with the help of rescue teams, to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu.
Chua praised the staff of the Kota Tinggi Hospital, saying they kept on going about their duty even when the hospital was almost flooded.
He also advised people who had symptoms such as flu and high fever to seek medical treatment immediately as two people had died of leptospirosis, a disease caused by water contaminated by rat urine.