‘Contractor given until end of this year to complete hospital’

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Dr Subramaniam (centre) seen speaking to reporters during the press conference at the SGH yesterday. Also seen are Dr Sim (left) and Dr Jamilah.

KUCHING: Contractors entrusted to build the delayed Petra Jaya Hospital have been given until the end of this year to complete the project.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam described the Petra Jaya Hospital as a ‘sick project’ which needed ‘treatment’ as soon as possible.

“Although the project is under the Public Works Department (JKR), many efforts have been made for the rehabilitation process of this project, including giving the contractors a time frame and in the end, I was told that this period has been extended until the end of this year for the contractor to complete the hospital,” he said.

With the extension, he hoped that the contractor would be able to complete the project.

Dr Subramaniam said the delay in the construction of the hospital, which should have been completed in June last year, had caused inconvenience to residents of Kuching and SGH as well.

Touching on the mega project at SGH, he explained that various other facilities would also be built into the new SGH complex.

“The privatisation project costs RM350 million to develop the complex where it has a care centre, OT (operating theatre), a pathology laboratory and a parking space of 1,800 lots developed by the private sector. In addition, they will also develop other private facilities such as hotels and so on,” he said.

He informed that the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 or early 2020.

Also attending the press conference were Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Sarawak health director Dr Jamilah Hashim.