We are in the second year of the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) but we note that the upgrading of the Seri Manjung Hospital, Perak which was approved under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2010-2015) involving the costs of RM60 million has yet to start.
The said upgrading project involves the upgrading of the electricity supply and the building of an additional block of building.
I have been informed that due to insufficient electricity supply to the Seri Manjung Hospital no additional medical equipments or air conditioning units can be installed. It will cause over-loading if such medical equipments or air conditioning units are installed.
In 2015, when the plan was approved, the additional building is to house the following:
(i) The Psychiatric ward
(ii) The Psychiatric clinic
(iii) A Continuing Medical Education Hall with a capacity for about 150 persons
(iv) Extension for the Paediatric, Orthopaedic and Eye clinics.
The delay is causing much hardship to the people of Manjung. The Seri Manjung Hospital needs a CT Scan urgently. The haemodialysis centre which can only accommodate 50 patients is always full and kidney patients have to be turned away. The National Health Mobidity Survey conducted by the Health Ministry in 2015 showed there is a two-fold increase in the number of mental health patients compared to a decade ago. It was about 10% of the population a decade ago and it is now about 30% of the population. In the 2015 survey, 4.2 million out of 14.4 million of Malaysians age 16 and above suffered from mental issues.
90% of those with mental health patients can be restored to normal with enough help and support.
Therefore, it view of the increasing number of patients with mental health problems it is imperative that the planned psychiatric ward in the Seri Manjung Hospital be set up as soon as possible. The Seri Manjung Hospital has now only a psychiatric clinic. My visit to the Seri Manjung Hospital shows that the parking space is insufficient and cars have to be park quite a distance from the hospital.
I also call on the Health Minister apart from the abovesaid upgrading, to allocate further funds for the following:
(i) to purchase a CT Scan and such other medical equipments needed by Seri Manjung Hospital.
(ii) to expand the hemodialysis center.