.JPG "Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad speaks to reporters at the Malaysian Healthcare Conference 2019 in Kuala Lumpur March 7, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri")
PUTRAJAYA, April 2 — The Rembau Hospital will open by June, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said today amid questions about the facility during the Rantau by-election.
Dzulkefly said the 76-bed RM104 million government hospital was 90 per cent complete and would be part of a hospital cluster with Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar Seremban as the lead hospital, which means specialists from there will visit the Rembau Hospital regularly to provide their services.
“Everything is already in place,” Dzulkefly told a press conference at the Health Ministry here today.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr S. Streram had yesterday criticised his Barisan Nasional (BN) rival Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan over the non-functional Rembau Hospital, with the opening reportedly delayed by design and structural problems.
Dzulkefly added today that two government clinics in Rantau — the Rantau health clinic and the Bandar Baru Sendayan health clinic — were already scheduled for upgrades according to the 11th Malaysia Plan.
“It’s in our rolling plans,” he said.
The minister explained that this meant the clinic upgrades would depend on when funds are allocated for them in the annual government budget.
“We may start upgrading in 2020,” he said.
Dzulkefly said both government clinics would be upgraded to Type 3 facilities that could accommodate 800 patients a day, with new housing quarters for doctors and nurses.
“This is needed because it is very old and dilapidated. This clinic is very small and congested,” he said, referring to the Rantau government clinic.
Dr Streram had also called for upgrades of the Rantau government clinic in the Negri Sembilan state constituency.
The April 13 Rantau by-election is contested by Dr Streram from PKR, acting Umno president Mohamad, and two independents.
