JOHOR BARU, Sept 3 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has approved an immediate allocation of RM500 million for the first phase of the infrastructure development project at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) here.

He said the project included the construction of a multi-storey car park as well as several new high-rise blocks in HSA.

Anwar said the multi-storey car park will be built soon, with the construction process to begin this year.

"For this hospital (HSA), for the first phase, we need RM500 million and after discussing with the Ministry of Finance, we want this project to be expedited and the project amounting to half a billion (RM500 million) has been approved,” he said.

He said this after a visit to HSA today. Also present were Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan and HSA director Dr Sal Atan.

Anwar said the hospital has an area of around 100 acres (40 hectares), sufficient to build a car park and develop several more high-rise complexes that will be able to cope with hospital services and resolve the issue of patient congestion.

"From what I witnessed earlier, the situation has become dire... the (hospital) beds are being placed right in the middle of the wards.

"This situation has been left unresolved for a long time without any action taken... It is now the time for me and Dr Zaliha Mustafa (Health Minister) (to resolve it). We will take immediate action and (the allocation) has been approved,” he said.

Meanwhile, asked if plans for the construction of HSA 2 had also been discussed, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said that the project is being further planned.

He said HSA 2 will be part of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) mid-term review, and stressed that the current situation at HSA must be dealt with first.

"That (HSA 2) is part of our second plan, we want to resolve pressing concerns first (car park and new complex in HSA). — Bernama