REMBAU: The health ministry is carrying out close monitoring of 13 “sick” projects involving health clinics, hospitals as well as quarters, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.
He said a task force was making monthly checks on the progress of the projects.
“The number of projects will fluctuate each month, but what is important is that every month I will chair a development council meeting to ensure closer monitoring is done,” he said.
One of the “sick” projects was the Papar Hospital in Sabah, which has been delayed in construction. He said measures by the health and works ministries had succeeded in reducing the delay.
Khairy was speaking to reporters after officiating the upgrading of Rembau Hospital as a minor specialist hospital, which he said was possibly his “last gift” as the MP for Rembau.
He said the hospital has been provided with another operating room and equipped with a CT scan machine at a cost of RM9 million.
He said Rembau Hospital would help reduce congestion at Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban and enable residents in Rembau, Tampin, and the surrounding areas to receive specialist treatment.
The ministry was taking immediate steps to reduce waiting time at all health facilities especially for important procedures such as diagnostic scans or surgery and cancer treatment.
Several hospitals in Sabah and Sarawak will also be upgraded to become state hospitals, major specialist hospitals and minor specialist hospitals.
Khairy said the ministry had agreed to provide free Wi-Fi services at all hospitals, beginning with Rembau Hospital.
