Govt allocates RM365m to build Malaysia's first endocrine complex

PUTRAJAYA: The government has allocated RM365 million to build the Endocrine Hospital Complex to cater for the growing number of endocrine patients said, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam.
He said the construction of the country's first endocrine complex project, which started early this year, would provide medical and surgical services as well as a research centre, training centre and research centre for endocrine patients nationwide when it is ready by 2020.
"The 10-storey building will be equipped with 220 patient beds, specialist clinics, basic surgical training rooms, simulation rooms, physical rehabilitation fitness centre, hydrotherapy pool, sleeping laboratory and become an institute for training and producing more endocrinologists in the medical and surgical fields.
"Many people suffer from endocrine diseases, with 3.5 million adults between aged 18 and 40 in Malaysia suffering from diabetes, of which eight percent do not know they have diabetes," he told reporters after launching the new block of Putrajaya Hospital which houses the endocrine complex here today.
Endocrine diseases occur when the gland produces too much or too little endocrine hormones causing hormonal imbalance and affects the metabolic function of the body and other organs as a whole.
"The second most frequent disease is thyroid, one to two percent among adults with endocrine diseases as well as other illnesses," he said.
In his opening remarks, Dr Subramaniam said the government spent RM25 billion to improve health level last year and only RM600 million was collected through outpatient and specialist fees and purchases of certain medical supplies by patients.
In another development, he said the software purchased and used by the Penang state government to detect dengue cases was a technology developed by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and the Ministry of Health, endorsed by the United Nations.
"This is our product of pride, not the Penang government," he said when commenting on a report of the Penang government that said it had a new approach to detect dengue cases via the purchase of the software from the UN. — Bernama