Pusrawi plagued by mould infestation
KUALA LUMPUR: Pusat Rawatan Islam (Pusrawi) Hospital, operated by a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), has been plagued by mould problems.
The problem started in 2010, five years after the hospital’s construction was completed in 2005. The hospital is managed by Hospital Pusrawi Sdn Bhd.
Pusrawi’s fungal problem was stated in the second series of the Auditor General’s Report 2018 on the management of federal government companies, which was released yesterday.
The report said mould was found on the walls and ceilings of a laundry room, Ar Rahmah ward and the hospital’s health screening centre during a visit by a team of auditors on Aug 15.
In the second visit four days later, the team detected foul odour emanating from the hospital’s Siti Khadijah specialist clinic.
The report noted an external engineer’s findings in June last year, which concluded that the fungal problem was triggered by uncontrolled temperatures and humidity due to lack of scheduled maintenance at the hospital.
“Apart from lack of monitoring by the appointed maintenance contractor, the problem was attributed to the failure of the building automation system.
“According to the management of the hospital, the system enables facilities at the building to be monitored and controlled online and in real-time.
“Based on the report by MAIWP’s Action Committee, the problem has been going on since 2010, five years after the construction of the hospital was completed.”
An evaluation report identified three causes of the problem. Besides the relative humidity in the supply airstream, which exceeded 70 per cent, the problem was also attributed to condensation on the walls and water leakages in the hospital.
The report added that only two of the four chillers, which supplied cold air to the hospital complex, were found to be functioning and this resulted in condensation on the walls.
It also noted that MAIWP had approved RM3 million in provision to resolve the problem based on the presentation by Pusrawi on May 22 and June 26 last year.
However, up to August this year, Pusrawi had yet to receive the allocation.
Pusrawi said the management of the hospital, on Sept 27, approved an allocation to upgrade the chiller system to resolve the problem.
“The management of the hospital also said e-perolehan (government tender system), which began in October, would be completed between six and 12 months.”