INTERVIEW | Operating theatres that cannot be used and hospital buildings not constructed according to specifications or are delayed in completion may now be a thing of the past as Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad plans to personally look into these matters.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Dzulkefly, who is also Parti Amanah Nasional strategy director, said he got to know from former auditor-general Ambrin Buang about some of the findings pertaining to the ministry made in the audit report.
He said he planned to identify errant contractors to ensure only qualified contractors would be selected to bid for hospital projects.
"I recently met with Ambrin … and he expressed concern over some projects conducted by the ministry under the previous government, which were not done according to the correct specifications.
"These include an operation theatre that cannot be used in Johor and hospitals facing delay in completion, like the one in Shah Alam. Some of these projects are carried out by contractors that are supposedly not qualified," Dzulkefli said.
Therefore, in line with this, Dzulkefli said the Pakatan Harapan government would ensure that only qualified contractors are selected and that the buildings and facilities are constructed according to the specifications outlined.
In the past, projects such as the Shah Alam Hospital, which is supposed to help reduce congestion at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, was delayed for more than two years.
In 2015, the audit report also cited that an inexperienced contractor was the cause of the substandard quality in workmanship for the upgrading project of Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail in Batu Pahat, Johor.
The audit on the hospital found that the RM200.7 million project was completed 90 days after its 33-month deadline had lapsed on Dec 15, 2010 and its contractor, Sejagat Bakti Sdn Bhd, was found to have handed over the hospital to the Health Ministry one year after the project was issued a Certificate of Practical Completion (CPC), despite some of the works not being up to mark.
Besides this, Dzulkefli said, he would also be meeting with pharmaceutical companies to ensure that the supply of medications to hospitals is at a proper price and adequate.
1Malaysia Clinic rebranded
The health minister also announced that the 1Malaysia Clinics opened by the BN government would be rebranded and repackaged as Klinik Rakyat.
Dzulkefly said these clinics would be staffed by doctors, unlike the present situation, where they are run by nurses or medical assistants.
This, he added, is in line with the ministry's policy to ensure that proper healthcare is given to the people.
Dzulkefly also told Malaysiakini that government hospitals are lacking 16,000 beds nationwide and hopes that the nine hospitals under construction would help to alleviate this shortage.
"New hospitals are being built in Bera in Pahang, Pendang in Kedah and Rembau in Negeri Sembilan, among others.
"The hospital in Kuala Krai (Kelantan) is already completed," Dzulkefly said, adding that the Sri Aman Hospital in Sarawak is 40 percent complete. -Mkini
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