Government to build new clinics, upgrade existing ones

Star: PUCHONG: The public can expect better health services with the building of 500 new clinics and the upgrading of existing clinics in the next three years, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
A total of RM1.2bil will be spent on building the new clinics and another RM400mil for upgrading of existing premises, he said.
The new clinics will be built in cities as well as rural areas in the next three years, said Dr Chua, adding that the ministry approved the RM300,000 request by the Puchong Health Clinic for its expansion work.
The clinic has five doctors and they see 480 patients daily, said Puchong MP Lau Yeng Peng.
Dr Chua said the Eighth Malaysia Plan had concentrated on building hospitals, with almost RM5bil spent.
However, in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, no new hospitals will be built and the allocation will be on city and rural clinics.
Due to a lack of land in cities, the ministry is looking into building multi-level health clinics and 20 mobile clinics to meet the needs of poorer city folk.
At the multi-level clinics, the ground floor will be allocated for mothers, children and emergency cases while other cases will be referred upstairs, he said.