Delay-stricken Petra Jaya Hospital expected to be ready in 2024 — Minister

A blood donor takes a wefie with Khairy (standing front, second left), hospital staff and other visitors at the SGH. Seen on the same row, from right, are Mohd Shafiq and Dr Sim. — Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Sept 27): Petra Jaya Hospital should be operational in 2024, with a new contractor having been appointed to handle the delayed-plagued project.

In stating this, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the new contractor had already conducted some works on the site since January this year.

“It will take some time for the new hospital to be operational as the contactor had been removing the old equipment of the previous contractor over the past few months, and also cleaning and preparing the site (for the next phase of works),” he told reporters after visiting Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) yesterday.

Khairy said upon its completion, the new hospital at Petra Jaya would be able to provide about 300 beds.

As for the yet-to-be-opened Sri Aman Hospital, the minister expressed hope for the facility to begin operations as soon as possible to relieve the burden currently experienced by other hospitals in Kuching.

“The physical infrastructure of the (Sri Aman) hospital has already been completed and now, it is undergoing the ‘testing-and-commissioning’ phase.

“I have asked the ministry’s secretary-general on whether we could open the hospital earlier or not,” he said.

The minister also proposed for certain sections in Sri Aman Hospital to be opened to patients earlier than scheduled, if the facility could not be fully operation in the near term.

Responding on a question on whether or not there were enough hospital beds in Kuching, Khairy said the availability here was ‘satisfactory’ and the ministry would focus on increasing the intensive care unit (ICUs) capacity in other districts like Sibu and Sarikei.

“Some of these projects involving the installation of modular ICUs are on-going (in other districts), with some just about to start.

“I will leave it to the state government and the Health Department to determine on where to put these beds,” said Khairy, pointing out that certain hospitals might require as many as 10 additional ICU beds.

Meanwhile, the federal minister visited the daycare centre, the pathology department, the blood bank and the field hospital during his visit to SGH yesterday.

Accompanying him during the visit were his deputy Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, the ministry’s secretary-general Dato Mohd Shafiq Abdullah, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, State Disaster Management Committee advisor Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian who is the state’s Local Government and Housing Minister, Health Department Sarawak director Dato Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed, and SGH director Dr Ngian Hie Ung.

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