Bangi MP uses own allocation to upgrade Kajang health clinic

Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan has allocated RM343,000 from his MP allocations to upgrade the emergency department (ED) of Klinik Kesihatan Kajang, which falls under his constituency.

This amounts to more than 17 percent of the RM2 million Mesra Rakyat allocation given to MPs for infrastructural developments in their respective constituencies, reported health news portal CodeBlue.

According to the DAP leader, he decided on the move to bypass the lengthy red tape associated with clinic expansions and upgrades, if they were done through the Health Ministry.

"I think if you look at the Health Ministry's budget, it has one of the biggest budgets for any ministry. And it has been the case for several years already.

"But even with this budget, this allocation is not enough... when you’re talking about the need to subsidise the cost, the need to build new hospitals and clinics and so on and so forth.

"So, if we were to wait for the ministry for its plans to upgrade it (the clinic’s ED), we don’t know how long that will take," Syahredzan (above) told the portal in a recent interview at his Kajang office.

The Health Ministry received RM36.3 billion in Budget 2023, and out of that, only about 13 percent (RM4.8 billion) was allocated for development. The biggest chunk went toward operating expenses.

The report said that the Kajang public health clinic is currently overcrowded, with close to 1,000 patients visiting it on busy days. Beds on the ED are lined up next to each other.

Be 'creative' in utilising allocations

With the upgrade, the clinic would have a bigger space for emergency treatments, Syahredzan said.

The funds will go toward building expansion and electrical wiring. The Health Ministry is responsible for project execution, and any delays or additional costs will be borne by the ministry.

Klinik Kesihatan Kajang's ED is currently closed for renovations, and patients are redirected to a makeshift room to receive treatment. Works are expected to be completed in three months, with the reopening date tentatively set for early November.

Syahdredzan said the Kajang hospital is also in need of expansion, but admitted that MPs' allocations are just not sufficient to meet that end.

The lawyer said that MPs and assemblypersons can play an active role in addressing community problems, as long as they are 'creative' in using the allocation given.

"I think MPs and assemblypersons need to constantly find new ways to maximise the allocation that’s been given. You don’t have to spend too much to actually have a big impact.

"I think we need to start looking at how we can actually assist our local communities using the allocations that we have in increasingly creative ways.

"A lot of the issues here are actually due to lack of facilities, lack of infrastructure in terms of coping with overpopulation.

"So, how can MPs and assemblypersons help out? I think, if you have an experienced team in your office, MPs can actually do a lot of good with their limited allocations," he said. - Mkini