PETALING JAYA: Cardiothoracic surgeries are finally expected to be conducted at the Serdang Heart Centre this year, says the Selangor health director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin.
The 18-month-old cardiac facility's four operating theatres had been closed due to maintenance problems, particularly air conditioning issues, forcing Hospital Serdang to rely on only one functioning operating theatre in the hospital’s old building.
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“However, there were some technical issues involving electricity supply and high humidity at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital Heart Centre’s (Serdang Heart Centre) surgery complex, and further action is being taken by the main contractor under the surveillance of the Public Works Department before the complex can begin operations,” Dr Ummi Kalthom said in a statement on Sunday (May 19).
She added that patients were also being referred to the National Heart Institute (IJN) for the time being.
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“Aside from the cardiothoracic surgeries offered at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital, the Health Ministry has also taken steps to outsource cardiothoracic procedures to private facilities. This initiative is in the final stages of planning and is expected to be implemented in the near future,” she said.
She said that waiting time for patients should come down once the facility is fully up and running.
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“The Selangor Health Department will closely monitor the repairs and ensure that the process is expedited for the continuation of service,” she said.
She also said that the cardiac facility has been operating in phases since commencing operations on Dec 13, 2022, adding that to date, all general wards, including the Critical Care Unit, are in operation.
The facility's infrastructure issues had left some 1,000 patients on a waiting list that lasted several months.
The cardiac facility, opened in December 2022, is supposed to be one of the main cardiology centres in the country, with referrals from all over the country.
