PUTRAJAYA: The government will spend RM70 million to build new clinics in Rantau and Sendayan to replace the current ones, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
He said the clinic in Rantau was already 60 years old. “It is congested and there is insufficient parking space. The government has earmarked five acres of land for the new clinic, which will also house accommodation for doctors and staff,” he added.
He said the new clinics in Rantau and Sendayan would be able to handle up to 800 outpatients each per day.
Dzulkefly, who spoke to reporters after a town hall meeting with pharmaceutical industry players, said both clinics would also be more well equipped.
He also said that the Rembau Hospital would be operational by the end of June. The cost of the 76-bed facility has risen from RM96 million to RM104 million as a result of delays.
“Rembau is part of a cluster of hospitals build around the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital, the main hospital in Seremban,” he said.
He added that clinical experts from Seremban would visit Rembau either fortnightly or monthly.
Dzulkefly said the government expected to spend about RM3 billion under the first phase of a plan to build 18 health facilities that would include hospitals, clinics, staff quarters and other medical facilities.
He said these facilities would be built as more money was allocated in the coming budgets.
On his meeting with the pharmaceutical industry players, he said they discussed a number of issues.
“We discussed the government’s plan to introduce price control this year. But we have not decided exactly when the new measure will be implemented. There is a need to understand the whole supply chain which includes hospitals and clinics before implementing price control,” Dzulkefly said.
He said the industry was willing to work with the government to make healthcare safe and accessible especially to the lower income group.
He added that the government did not want to simply come out with a pricing policy that it had to change later.
He pointed out that the pharmaceutical industry was a strategic investor and some companies had invested hundreds of millions in the country.
Dzulkefly said they also created jobs, including high paying ones, while investing in research and development.
