Blocked toilet shuts down baby unit at hospital

Star: SUNGAI PETANI: Overflowing human faeces from a toilet has forced the temporary closure of the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at the state-of-the-art RM450mil Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Bandar Amanjaya here since Monday.
The unit has been relocated to the paediatric ward on the sixth floor of the hospital, which opened its doors on Jan 5.
Hospital director Dr Harif Fadzillah Che Hashim confirmed the closure.
He said the overflow was caused by a blockage in a toilet at the unit.
He added that maintenance and fumigation works would be completed by next week.
“As the toilet was overflowing, we feared contamination as staff stepped on the toilet floor and walked in and out of the unit in their slippers.
“We have commissioned the repair works and hope to reopen the unit by next week,” he added.
The situation caused a furore among some parents who were worried about the effect on their newborn babies.
It is learnt that a similar leakage had also occurred at the hospital’s cafeteria due to a defective sewerage pipe.
In December last year, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek gave a directive that only certified and specialised contractors be awarded government hospital projects.
He was commenting on the delay in completing several government hospitals due, in part, to the lack of expertise by the building contractors.
The Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital was handed over by the Public Works Department to the Health Ministry on July 20 last year.