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GEORGE TOWN: Bayan Baru Member of Parliament Sim Tze Tzin has submitted an official application to Health Minister Datuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad for a government hospital (General Hospital) to be built in the parliamentary constituency.
He gave the letter to Dzulkifly during the latter’s visit to the Bayan Baru Health Clinic, near here, on Friday (May 2).
According to Sim, the request was made based on various factors, including the high population density in the parliamentary constituency and its surroundings, which is 389,608 people, comprising mostly the B40 group and factory workers.
"The distance to the existing hospital, which is the Penang Hospital, is 19 km away, while the Balik Pulau Hospital is 17 km away, which makes it difficult for patients, especially the elderly and chronically ill, to get immediate treatment," he said via Facebook on Saturday (May 3).
He said another factor was the ageing population, as the Barat Daya district and Bayan Baru area recorded an increase in the elderly population, thus adding to the urgent need for comprehensive and easily accessible public health facilities
Sim said the health minister accepted the application, but admitted that there was a major constraint, namely the availability of land in the Bayan Baru area, as the Health Ministry requires at least a 10-acre site for the hospital project.
As such, Sim said, Dzulkefly suggested that the state government help identify and provide a suitable site for the project.
"I really appreciate his openness and commitment to the proposal. I hope that all parties, especially the state government, can work together to realise the construction of a government hospital in the Bayan Baru parliamentary constituency for the well-being of the people," he said.
Meanwhile, Sim praised the initiative to implement the extended operation at the Bayan Baru Health Clinic, describing it as a smart two-pronged move.
The move not only helped reduce patient congestion during peak hours but also eased the burden on the Penang Hospital, he said. - Bernama
