SHAH ALAM, May 27 — A six-hectare site in Taman Medan, currently home to a modern sports complex, could help address the urgent need for a new public hospital to serve the densely populated Petaling Jaya-Subang-Puchong corridor.
Malaysiakini reported that Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said a recent technical meeting between the Health Ministry (MOH) and the state government identified the complex, known as X Park PJ South, as a potential site for the proposed facility.
"The 15-acre site is strategically located to provide healthcare services to nearby communities, particularly the B40 group. Besides the lower land cost, the area is also large enough to provide sufficient parking facilities to avoid congestion problems like those faced by older hospitals.
“As an immediate implementation step, I have instructed the Selangor Health Department to visit the site this week itself to conduct inspections and site evaluations.
“MOH and the Selangor government will continue to work closely to ensure all technical matters are resolved quickly for the benefit of residents in Petaling Jaya and surrounding areas,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefly added that the MOH plans to build a 500-bed hospital on the site with five specialist disciplines, benchmarked against the Ampang Hospital.
He was responding to questions about the growing calls for the government to build a new hospital to serve the high-density populations in Petaling Jaya, Puchong, and Subang.
Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari recently came under criticism after saying high land prices were among the factors hindering the ministry’s plans to build a hospital in the area.
"The state government and MOH are still searching for a suitable site for the proposed public hospital in Petaling Jaya, as previously identified locations were either too expensive or too far from the target population centres,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said they had to scrap earlier plans to acquire a privately owned plot near Jalan Klang Lama due to its exceptionally high cost.
He emphasised that the MOH must remain prudent in managing government expenditure as it aims to build a comfortable hospital equipped with advanced medical technology.
“However, MOH will never take the easy way out by relocating this hospital to a distant area merely to save costs.
“The welfare and convenience of the people will always remain the government’s priority,” Dr Dzulkefly said.
