Work on RM104mil hospital delayed

REMBAU: Work on the RM104mil Rembau Hospital has been further delayed and the facility will now only be ready in the first quarter of next year, says Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The construction of the 76bed hospital was supposed to have been completed in September 2016 but the contractor was given till June this year to finish the job.

“This is one of the projects that has been brought to my attention and I want to make sure it is finished quickly.

“Although the contractor said the project is around 90% completed and should be opened by year end, I think it is only 80% done,” he said after a tour of the project site.

Work on the hospital started in September 2013 but the contractor was replaced after checks showed the project was beset with structural and design problems.

Asked about the cause of the further delay, Dr Dzulkefly said it was mainly due to technical and design issues.

We cannot afford delays as this would cost the Government more money. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

Former health minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam last December had given the contractor till June this year to finish the job and said it should be operational by September.

Rembau Hospital was among those built to provide various medical services to those from here, Port Dickson and Tampin.

On a separate matter, Dr Dzulkefly said 23 ongoing projects of the ministry which include the construction of the Rembau Hospital as well as other health facilities had been categorised as "sick".

He said “sick” projects were those in which work was delayed by 20%.

Citing an example, he said the Government had to fork out an additional RM8mil to complete the construction of the Rembau Hospital.

Measures would be put in place to ensure these projects were completed without the Government having to incur additional costs, he said.

“These are projects which are in the red zone category.

“I will check these projects one by one and remind the contractors that they will have to deliver on time," Dr Dzulkefly said.

“We cannot afford delays as this would cost the Government more money.”

— Bernama Plagued by problems: Dr Dzulkefly (in white shirt with black motif) inspecting the building during a visit to the Rembau Hospital. With him is Negri Sembilan Health director Dr Zainudin Mohd Ali (in blue shirt).