Pontian Hospital will be upgraded to a Minor Specialist Hospital with a new 10-storey building, boosting capacity and easing congestion at major Johor hospitals

PONTIAN: Pontian Hospital will be upgraded to a Minor Specialist Hospital with a new 10-storey building.

The RM400 million project aims to boost healthcare capacity and services in southern Johor.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the upgrade will allow residents to access specialist treatment locally.

Many patients are currently referred to Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) and Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) due to a lack of specialist services.

The hospital currently operates as a district facility with a bed occupancy rate of around 55%. The new building will increase the number of beds by 110, bringing total capacity to 230.

“It will also feature modern critical care facilities, including an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), operating theatres, and Computed Topography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning units,” Dzulkefly said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The ceremony was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was also present.

Dzulkefly said the upgrade is expected to ease congestion at HSA and HSI. It will complement plans for Hospital Sultanah Aminah 2 in Skudai.

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan said the project is in a fast-track phase to accelerate construction. The development will comprise four main blocks.

These include an emergency block, main hospital block, parking block and staff quarters.

“Within a few months, we expect to issue the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to the successful contractor,” Ahmad Maslan said.

 The Sun Malaysia