‘Govt always keeps promise to upgrade hospitals’

GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry keeps its promise to upgrade hospitals and health clinics nationwide, said its minister, Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.

Citing Penang, he said an allocation of RM250 million had been approved to the ministry for construction of a new block to house the Women and Child Clinic at Penang Hospital.

“Various projects for upgrading of hospitals in Penang have been approved for the benefit of the people in Penang and the claim of delay in approving the funds for the purpose is not true,” he told reporters after opening the International Medical Device Conference 2017 here yesterday.

Last Monday, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, in a statement, urged the Health Ministry to fulfill its promise to upgrade the hospital in the state.

Besides upgrading of the Penang Hospital, Dr Subramaniam said a new building block, costing RM486 million, had also be implemented for Seberang Jaya Hospital and plans were afoot to upgrade the Balik Pulau Hospital.

The ministry had also implemented the construction of a new building.

“So a lot of things are happening in Penang, maybe the Chief Minister has not opened his eyes to see all these things,” he said.

The ministry, he said, was also looking for a suitable site to locate the out- patient unit of Penang Hospital. — Bernama