Delay of Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital project: Health Ministry accepts blame

NST: SEREMBAN: The Health Ministry has accepted the blame for the delay of the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital project in Alor Star, but reasoned that it was only to make sure the building was safe for use.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the ministry had asked the Works Ministry to make changes to the specifications and scope of work for the project.
"But we had to do this to make sure the building is safe, besides meeting the required medical technology standards," he said at the countdown launch of the MS ISO 9001:2000 certification and accreditation of the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital here.
Present was hospital director Dr Jaafar Che Mat.
On Sunday, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the four-year delay on the RM565 million Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital was caused by the Health Ministry.
Samy Vellu claimed the Health Ministry had made last-minute changes to the project.
The project, which started in August 2000, was expected to be ready by December 2003 but the completion date was extended several times, with the last on Dec 31 last year.
The delay had sparked a war of words between Samy Vellu and Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Dr Abdul Latiff said the original design plans, including the specifications for the medical facilities at the hospital, were completed in 2001.
However, there were too many changes made to them in the following two years.
"They (changes) were made to keep up with the changes in medical technology. If some of the facilities were retained from the original plans, they would have been rendered obsolete by now."
The 770-bed hospital, built by MH Projects Sdn Bhd, is now scheduled to be handed over to the Health Ministry by the middle of next month.
Dr Abdul Latiff hoped that the experiences gained from this project would prevent similar problems for future hospital projects.