KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — The country’s first children’s specialist hospital has placed Malaysia on track to join the league of developed nations in healthcare, Datuk Seri Najib Razak (picture) said today.

The prime minister broke ground for the UKM Permata Children’s Specialist Hospital (HPKK) here, a RM606 million project awarded to Syarikat Zecon Sdn Bhd, expected to be completed by 2017.

“With the launch of the Women and Children’s Hospital by the Health Ministry and now the Permata Children Hospital, this indicates that we are on track to enter the league of developed nation, especially in healthcare.

“HPKK Permata will also add to the list of teaching hospitals to train more doctors and child specialists and sub-specialists in all kinds of paediatric disciplines,” Najib said.

In his speech, he also said that there will be all kinds of niche treatments offered including minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries, cardiology and cardiothoracic services, cochlear implant, bone marrow transplant, child development, paediatric genomics as well as paediatric endocrinology.

“Today, the healthcare standard indicator for Malaysia has almost reached the same level as developed nations.

“For example, 2011 statistics showed infant mortality rate to be 6.6 for every 1,000 births while neonatal mortality is 4.2 for every 1,000 births.

“The doctor-to-citizen ratio has reached one doctor for every 800 citizens and this ratio is expected to reach 1 to 600 by 2015, which is the recommended ratio by the World Health Organisation,” the prime minister said.

The hospital will be built on a 13.7-acre site next to the UKM Medical Centre and will have 250 beds, of which 198 will be in private rooms.