(From left) Sim launching the new toilet at Bukit Mertajam Hospital with director Dr Prashant.
THE Bukit Mertajam Hospital is set to expand following the Penang government’s concession of 3.2ha of land occupied by the abandoned Bukit Mertajam Resthouse.
Located across the road from the hospital, the resthouse land will give the hospital ample room for a new wing.
Human Resources Minister and Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim said the expansion was at the design stage.
“Hospital Bukit Mertajam now has about 240 beds.
“We hope to at least double that with the upgrade,” he said.
He will meet Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to push for speedy planning approval and any help required.
A colonial-era relic, resthouses offered basic lodging to government officers during work travel.
Over time, they fell into disuse as hotels mushroomed.
Sim toured the hospital after it won the Gold Award for Most Sustainable Hospital in Asia at the 2025 Hospital Management Asia Awards.
“This is no ordinary feat for a 135-year-old hospital,” he said.
This colonial-era resthouse will make way for the establishment of a new wing for Bukit Mertajam Hospital on Penang mainland.
“Energy use has been cut by almost 11%, equivalent to planting nearly 4,000 trees and avoiding about 350 tonnes of carbon emissions.
“Operating costs dropped by about RM250,000 last year,” he said.
He credited practical measures such as a zero-waste push, paperless emergency department, and upgraded toilets.
His office provided RM200,000 for new toilets, which are vital in a hospital environment.
Sim highlighted the installation of a RM5mil CT scanner last year, secured during his tenure in Finance Ministry in 2023.
The hospital has begun serving about 6,500 patients per year, saving time, transfer costs and manpower once needed to send cases to Seberang Jaya or Penang Hospital.
“With the machine here, diagnosis and treatment are faster and safer, especially for ICU or accident patients who should not be moved,” Sim elaborated.
Hospital director Dr R. Prashant thanked Sim for the annual allocations that helped modernise services ranging from computer upgrades to new toilets, as well as Sim’s continued support of the expansion.
