SELANGOR government is progressing with the land acquisition process to facilitate the hospital’s development in Taman Medan.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that while two sites were identified for the new public hospital, Taman Medan was preferred over SS8 Kelana Jaya.
He cited Taman Medan’s dense population and a need to improve access to healthcare services for the surrounding community.
“The cost is still under discussion with the relevant parties.
“Taman Medan is the preferred location because it serves a densely populated area where access to existing healthcare services is relatively limited.
“Hospitals such as Hospital Shah Alam and University Malaya Medical Centre are some distance away,” he said after launching the Ambulance Kita Selangor (AKS) programme Phase 2 at the Selangor state secretariat building’s main foyer.
Amirudin said the new hospital would not only benefit residents of Petaling Jaya but also those living in nearby areas such as Puchong, Jalan Kelang Lama and Subang.
The SS8 site, he said, involved land owned by Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and was the second choice if there were constraints with the Taman Medan site.
“Both sites are approximately the same size, between 4ha and 6ha,” he added.
Amirudin said that based on feedback from Health Ministry (MOH), Taman Medan was considered the more suitable location.
The hospital’s design, capacity and overall development, he said, would be determined by MOH based on available funding and healthcare needs.
He further said that the state government would expedite all related processes to ensure the project could be implemented as soon as possible.
In a social media post early yesterday, Amirudin said the matter of the Petaling Jaya hospital was reviewed during a meeting involving MOH representatives, Selangor health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin and Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon.
On July 14, StarMetro reported that land-related challenges could hamper plans for the proposed 500-bed hospital.
Among them were that the planned site in Taman Medan was privately owned on leasehold, and overlapped with the unresolved alignment of the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway.
Separately during the AKS Phase 2 launch, Amirudin said Selangor was prepared to strengthen efforts to address mental health issues among students.
He was asked for comments following a recent stabbing incident involving a secondary school student in Banting.
He said the state would review the report to be presented by Selangor Education Department before deciding on appropriate measures.
“The state government is ready to assist through our existing networks, particularly in raising awareness among the public, including young people, about the symptoms and effects of mental health issues,” he said.
He added that mental health initiatives should be implemented comprehensively with the involvement of schools, parents and parent-teacher associations.
