GOMBAK, May 29 — The need for a public hospital is currently more urgent in Petaling Jaya, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, while acknowledging that healthcare facilities in districts such as Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam also need improvements.
The proposed new hospital in Petaling Jaya is necessary due to the high population density, particularly in areas such as Old Town and Taman Medan.
“The urgent need for a hospital with a bigger capacity is here (in Petaling Jaya),” he told the media after the handover ceremony for temporary occupation licence approval letters to Buku Hijau programme participants in Taman Sri Gombak today.
Amirudin added that the state government has been seriously discussing the proposed hospital project since last year through the State Development Action Council, with district authorities tasked with identifying alternative land sites after concerns over the high cost of a previously proposed location.
He said the site in Taman Medan has since been chosen as the ideal location.
“That area (has been identified as suitable) as it serves densely populated locations like Old Town and Taman Medan, where some residents belong to groups that require greater support,” Amirudin said.
He also admitted that healthcare facilities in other parts of Selangor require attention due to demand and population growth, including Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam.
Meanwhile, residents in areas such as Morib and Sepang still face difficulties accessing certain services, including maternity care.
“Kuala Selangor already has a hospital, but it needs to be upgraded with better facilities. The situation in Morib is such that many residents and the surrounding areas still have to travel to Port Dickson (in Negeri Sembilan) for childbirth treatment,” Amirudin said.
Nevertheless, hospital construction and upgrading projects ultimately fall under the Health Ministry’s (MOH) jurisdiction, with the state government only facilitating matters such as land acquisition and related processes.
He was commenting on Hulu Selangor parliamentary coordinator Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan’s statement yesterday that, while the proposed government hospital in Petaling Jaya is a positive step, there is also a need for similar healthcare facilities in other areas, such as Hulu Selangor.
On May 27, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said a six-hectare site in Taman Medan, currently home to the X Park PJ South sports complex, has been identified as the proposed location for the new Petaling Jaya Hospital.
On the same day, Amirudin said the new 500-bed hospital, which will be developed using a vertical concept, perfectly aligns with the needs of local residents in terms of accessibility, capacity, land cost, and proximity to surrounding communities.
Meanwhile, the Menteri Besar said he was informed by the MOH that funding for the hospital project is available, although several processes, including land acquisition and approvals, still need to be completed before construction can begin.
“We will assist in facilitating the land acquisition process,” he said.
Yesterday, Dr Dzulkefly said the MOH could still seek funding for the hospital even though the project was not included in the original 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), as the ministry could apply for approval and funding under the Rolling Plan cycle.
