SEGAMAT: An in-depth diagnosis will be conducted by the Health Ministry before it comes up with a solution to “sick” projects involving the development of health facilities in the country, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Health Minister said her ministry would need to identify the “symptoms” of the sickness as different issues require different approaches.
“I have been informed about some of the sick projects, but I would like to see this issue in more detail.
“When we talk about sickness, doctors need to look at the indications, reports and diagnosis details before we can come up with solutions,” she said after a working visit to Hospital Segamat here yesterday.
Also present was Health director-general Tan Sri Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
She said this when asked to comment on previous health minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s report on the progress of 13 sick projects involving health clinics, hospitals and living quarters under the Health Ministry (MOH).
On Sept 23, Khairy was reported as saying MOH had taken action to solve the problem of sick projects involving the development of health facilities in the country with close monitoring of their progress.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter, Dr Zaliha said MOH was aware of the problems with healthcare in Sabah and Sarawak and planned to address them using an interagency and interministerial approach.
“We are aware of the issues with healthcare services in Sabah and Sarawak, where patients need to travel long distances and go through various checkpoints just to get our services,” she said when asked to comment on a case regarding an elderly woman who died while on her way to Hospital Miri earlier this week, after failing to go through the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Centre (CIQ) in Sungai Tujuh, Sarawak.
Hospital Segamat will have operation rooms, an intensive care unit with an 18-bed capacity, a high dependency unit with an eight-bed capacity, a central sterile supply department, and a respiratory and haemodynamics unit.
“The new building cost RM90.5mil, and the development started back in April 2018 and is expected to be completed by early next year.
“We hope this new building will be able to cater to more than 223,000 people in Segamat,” she said, adding that MOH would continue to improve services from time to time.
