KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh today announced that the free Go KL bus service will be extended to the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital (HRC) from April 1, in a move aimed at improving access to public healthcare, particularly for the elderly and those with mobility challenges.
She said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will expand the GOKL11 route – which runs between MRT Maluri and Bandar Tun Razak – by adding a new stop within the hospital grounds.
“This initiative aims to increase public transport access to patients, residents and citizens who receive treatment at the hospital, especially the elderly population, which is expected to reach 11.7 per cent by 2030,” she said in a press conference here.
Yeoh said the move forms part of broader efforts to ensure government facilities are not just available, but truly accessible to those who need them most.
“Hospitals like this must not only exist, they must be reachable, especially for senior citizens and patients facing mobility challenges,” she added.
HRC is Kuala Lumpur’s only dedicated rehabilitation hospital, providing recovery services for patients with injuries, stroke and chronic illnesses, and plays a key role in helping them regain physical function and improve their quality of life.
In attendance at the announcement ceremony was Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who said the hospital is crucial in helping patients recover and regain independence.
She said the bus service will provide much needed access to the public.
“This specific hospital provides recovery for chronic and stroke patients, where they can rehabilitate and try to return to normal life, improve mobility and quality of life,” she said.
“We will continue to support them, including through the replacement of portable equipment to improve their condition. We want them to have the best care for recovery," she added.
Yeoh also noted that improved connectivity could help boost patient numbers at the facility, which is currently operating below capacity.
“For now, the occupancy rate in Hospital Rehab Cheras is more or less 60 per cent. With this ease, we will be able to attract more patients to come,” said Yeoh.
Beyond transport, the hospital will also roll out the Cheras Zone Geriatric Wellbeing and Elderly Community Programme, combining rehabilitation, physical activity and community engagement.
Among the initiatives are disease prevention awareness, outdoor therapy facilities, and the use of the hospital field as a community recreation space.
On whether similar bus route extensions would be introduced elsewhere, Yeoh said authorities are taking a data-driven approach before expanding the service.
“We are going to sit with the relevant agencies to look into how we can plot out where these people are, who are those who need this kind of services,” she said.
She added that patient demographics are also evolving.
“When I listened to the doctor’s briefing just now, I was under the impression that rehab stroke patients are senior citizens, but they say patients are becoming younger, even in their 20s,” she said.
On measuring the success of the initiative, Yeoh acknowledged there is no immediate guarantee of uptake, describing it as a “chicken and egg situation”.
“People say nobody is using it because you don’t go to the places that we want to go. But when we roll out, we will need some time to promote. Sometimes people are not using it because they don’t know about it,” she said, urging the media and community leaders to help raise awareness.
She added that the priority for now is to maximise existing capacity rather than rapidly expanding infrastructure.
“There’s no need for us to constantly build in every place. First, we maximise usage because they still have capacity here to take in more load,” she said.
As a densely populated city, Yeoh said such initiatives are critical to ensure government assets are fully utilised for the benefit of Kuala Lumpur residents.
