GEORGE TOWN: A non-governmental organisation (NGO) plans to build a 500-bed "charity hospital" in Penang to make quality medical services accessible to the poor and needy.
Pertubuhan Penganut Mata Amritanandamayi Malaysia trustee and secretary-general, K. Kalidas said RM2 billion will be invested for the hospital which would be completed by 2025.
He said RM1 billion will be used for the hospital's construction while the remaining RM1 billion will be placed in fixed deposit where its interest will be used for the hospital's operation.
"The money is ready. My partners and I have gathered the necessary funds and once we have approval, we can begin," said Kalidas when met at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel here today.
Pertubuhan Penganut Mata Amritanandamayi Malaysia is a local arm of a spiritual NGO based in India.
Mata Amritanandamayi is a spiritual leader from India, who is fondly known by devotees as Amma, the hugging saint. She is the inspiration behind the project.
Kalidas said 250 beds in the upcoming hospital will be for dialysis patients and this service will be free of charge.
From the remaining 250 beds, 150 of it will be for intensive care units (ICU) and another 100 are for normal beds.
The hospital project is inspired by the Amrita Hospital in India, which has about 1,500 beds and was spearheaded by Mata Amritanandamayi.
She is also building another 2,000 bed hospital in Faridabad, Delhi, India.
"She is my 'guru' and I always look up to her as my role model. If my guru can do it, so can I," he said.
Despite it being a charity hospital, he said there will be no compromise in the quality of services offered to the people.
He said the best doctors will be placed there with good pay and its facilities will be top notch.
"For poor and disadvantaged people, they can pay as much as they can afford, while others can pay for the full amount.
"Some might cheat to get cheaper treatment? Go ahead, but how long can they cheat when they see actual needy people seeking treatment there.
"Surely at one point, they will feel guilty of doing so, but we will have our team who will check on the patients' background as well," he added.
Kalidas said that the yet-to-be-named hospital is expected to create 2,000 jobs for the locals and also boost local medical tourism.
Currently, the NGO is identifying a location for the hospital but it is expected to be built in the Seberang Perai Selatan district.
He said the hospital will not take away the customers and patients from existing hospitals in Penang.
"People have choices. Here, we are catering for the poor community who want to seek quality treatment.
"Every person, regardless of race and religion, will benefit from this hospital," he said.