Materia Medica Malaysiana

Ministry To Take Back Hospital Only After It's Considered Safe

JOHOR BAHARU, March 7 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will only take back the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) which was closed last September due to a fungal attack after it is satisfied that it is safe for patients and staff, according to Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said contractors and the Works Ministry were still carrying out fungal cleaning work at several sections and a garden believed to be the source of the problem at the RM500 million hospital.
Asked when the work would be completed, Chua told reporters: "I cannot say for sure. JKR (Public Works Department) initially said it will take about three to six months; it is five months now."
HSI, a 300-bed hospital was forced to be closed about two months after it was opened following fungal attacks believed to be from a defective air-conditioning system.
Earlier, the minister launched a pioneer Tele-Primary Care (TPC) health project at the Kempas Health Clinic which was also attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, here.
Last year, the Cabinet decided that remedial works costing RM14 million be carried out at the hospital so that it could be reopened to the public.
On the TPC, Chua said the project, the first of its kind in the region, had two unique features in that patients could be continuously helped by staff at local clinics and specialists at hospitals, through tele-consultation which was built into the system.
Under the pioneer project, 45 health clinics -- 28 in Johor and 17 in Sarawak -- are linked directly to the Health Ministry in Putrajaya through an information technology network.
The Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu and Sibu Hospital in Sarawak act as reference hospitals.
The project aims to help patients get initial specialist treatment locally without having to travel too much to specialist hospitals, which is costly and burdensome for them.