Shah Alam Hospital opens

1 The Hospital Shah Alam started operations in its Specialist Clinics on Monday. 2 The new Shah Alam is comfortable and conducive with positive feedback from patients. — Photos: SAM THAM/The Star

THE long-awaited Shah Alam Hospital has opened its doors to the public, much to the people’s relief.

However, only its specialists clinics were open on Monday while other outpatient services and the inpatient section would start functioning in January next year.

Selangor Health Department director Dr S. Balachandran, who visited the hospital on Monday said 23 patients were treated on the first day.

Located in Section 7, Shah Alam, the hospital has 300 beds and offers 14 areas of specialist care with a dedicated emergency unit for pregnant women.

The hospital, which had been delayed for more than five years, has 210 medical officers, 60 specialists and 1,276 staff.

On whether the hospital would help reduce the number of patients in Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (TAR) in Klang, Dr Balachandran said:

“It is difficult to say, a small number may reduce at the specialist clinics in TAR Hospital but we can only tell once the inpatient facilities are open next year.”

Patients visiting the hospital were happy to see the clean and friendly environment at the specialist clinics.

Most of them only found out about the new hospital when they were referred there for various ailments by private clinics around Shah Alam.

Norhuda Ahmad Faisal, 32, from Section 22 Shah Alam said she was referred to the hospital for her daughter’s tooth problem.

“Everything has been smooth so far because I think there are not many patients yet but the environment is conducive and comfortable, so it is definitely a welcome change,” she said.

Another patient Nur Farah Natasha Abdul Wahab, a student at Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) said the hospital was a welcome in the state capital.

“It will be easier for us to seek medical treatment now, especially since we did not have a hospital nearby,” said the business management student.

The much-delayed project was first awarded to Sunshine Fleet Sdn Bhd at a cost of RM482.6mil under a three-year contract between 2007 and 2010.

The company, however, only managed to complete 27% of the project at a cost of RM139.9mil before its contract was terminated in September 2010.

The project was then revived and awarded to Gadang Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd in 2011, at a cost of RM410.87mil.

Although the hospital was supposed to be completed in October last year, it was extended for another year.