Health Ministry to prioritise upgrading facilities over 50-years old

25 Feb 2023 05:30pm
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa having a closer look at facilities at the Segamat Hospital's annex building after a handing over ceremony for the building today. Dr Zaliha said the Health Ministry will use allocation from Budget 2023 to upgrade health facilities, prioritising those over 50-years old. - BERNAMA
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa having a closer look at facilities at the Segamat Hospital's annex building after a handing over ceremony for the building today. Dr Zaliha said the Health Ministry will use allocation from Budget 2023 to upgrade health facilities, prioritising those over 50-years old. - BERNAMA
A
A
A
SEGAMAT - The Health Ministry will utilise the RM36.3 billion allocated through Budget 2023 to prioritise the upgrading of health facilities nationwide, especially those over 50 years old.

Its minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the ministry had identified 1,200 health clinics categorised as dilapidated or affected by the high operational burden during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are many health clinics over 50 years old, including in rural and suburban areas. However, we will prioritise 400 clinics and use this allocation effectively,” she told reporters after the handing over of the Segamat Hospital new building project here today.

On Thursday, Dr Zaliha said MOH had submitted an application for special allocations to improve and upgrade health facilities across the country with immediate effect, considering that 1,200 of its 3,119 health clinics are over 50 years old, in a poor and dilapidated condition, with most of them built on wood structures.

Regarding the allocation for new permanent and contract positions for more than 1,500 medical officers, dental officers and pharmacists through Budget 2023, Dr Zaliha said the ministry would hold discussions with the Public Services Commission (SPA) about the placement of its staff.

On the Segamat Hospital’s new building project, she said the project is worth RM90.5 million with additional 67 beds for the Emergency and Trauma Department, operating rooms, Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency Unit, Central Sterile Supply Department and the Respiratory and Haemodynamics Unit, and is scheduled to operate in phases from March 5.

The Sekijang member of Parliament also announced an allocation of RM600,000 for the construction of 422 parking lots at Segamat Hospital, which is expected to overcome the congestion issue when the new building starts operating later.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Dr Zaliha said the government had approved an allocation of RM340 million to repair 400 dilapidated clinics and hospitals nationwide, RM160 million to maintain medical equipment under the Medical Equipment Enhancement Tenure (MEET), and RM100 million to replace obsolete medical equipment.

She also described the overall allocation for the ministry under Budget 2023 as a very positive start towards increasing the health sector budget to five per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Related Articles:


"The allocation is equivalent to two per cent of the GDP forecast in 2023 by the Ministry of Finance and is an increase from 1.89 per cent in 2022.

"However, MOH is confident that the five per cent rate can be achieved and fulfilled by the government in stages within five years as the country’s economy is recovering and growing rapidly,” added Dr Zaliha.

When tabling the Budget 2023 yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the health sector received the second-highest allocation with RM36.3 billion compared to RM32.4 billion last year.- BERNAMA