Works minister tells officials to ensure Sri Aman hospital done on time
KUCHING, Sept 27 — Works Minister Baru Bian directed his ministry officials today to ensure that the Sri Aman district hospital project is not delayed any further.
He said the hospital project has been delayed many times since it was first announced some 12 years ago.
“Now, they (officials) are talking about the new completion in January next year.
“I told them that they better expedite the whole thing. There have been delayed many times in the past,” he told reporters after co-chairing the federal-state joint action committee meeting with Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas here.
Work on the RM200 million 103-bed hospital only started in 2016 after former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak approved its construction in 2007, with the first phase of clearing and piling work on a 51-acre site completed in August 2013.
The proposed Sri Aman Hospital that will replace the existing one built in 1954 would benefit some 93,000 residents of Sri Aman, including patients from Lubok Antu, Betong and SimunJanuary
Najib, when laying the foundation stone for the Sri Aman Hospital project in February 2015, expected it to be completed by October 2018, provided there were no problems with the contractor.
Najib had said the federal government was committed to resuming the project considering that at the time, Putrajaya had already spent RM12 million on land acquisition, clearing and filling works.
When visiting the current Sri Aman Hospital in 2011, Najib announced that his administration would continue with the new hospital project that was envisioned to be bigger and equipped with modern facilities, including for surgery, haemodialysis and radiotherapy.
Meanwhile, Baru said tendering of Lawas and Miri hospitals and re-tendering Petrajaya hospital will be out within a month.
He said the construction of the Lawas and Miri hospitals are expected to commence next year.
The construction of the Petra Jaya Hospital project, worth RM495 million, began in May 23, 2013, and was initially scheduled for completion by November 29, 2016.
In July last year, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the federal Cabinet had, in principle, approved the proposal to terminate the main contractor for the hospital for failing to complete the project on time.
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