KUALA LUMPUR: As many as 156,000 residents of Bachok, Kelantan, will benefit once an under-construction non-specialist district hospital begins operations there in Sept 2019.
In a statement via his Facebook page today, Health Ministry Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 76-bed hospital, which costs RM140 million, is being built on a 50-acre plot of land.
"With the hospital in place, it will be able to lessen crowding at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Zainab II (HRPZ II) in Kota Baru, which is 20km away.
"It will also accommodate 18 medical officers, and once it has been clustered with HRPZ II, Hospital Bachok will then be equipped with specialised services (even though) it is a district hospital without specialists.
"The Bachok district is one of many that still does not have a hospital. (Once the hospital is in operation), access to secondary health services in this area will be made (easy) and… the rakyat's health status will be better," he said.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak graced the ground breaking ceremony and launch of the project.
Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.
Among inpatient facilities that will be available at Hospital Bachok are wards for men, women, children; maternity wards and maternity rooms; a haemodialysis unit; an operation theatre; an outpatient services centre and specialist clinic; an emergency unit; a rehabilitation unit; a forensic unit; a pathology unit; a blood bank; a pharmacy unit; and other support services.