PEKAN, June 11 — The initiative to upgrade 403 health clinics, identified as dilapidated, with a RM150 million allocation, is progressing well and expected to be completed by the end of this year, Health Deputy Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said.

Out of the allocated funds, 41 clinics have already been upgraded, 326 are currently in progress and 36 smaller projects are in the tender process, set to begin soon.

Lukanisman noted that among the 403 clinics, 85 require full replacement, necessitating demolition and reconstruction. These projects are already coordinated nationwide and are in the implementation phase.

"After visiting Sabah, Sarawak, and several other locations, I’ve witnessed promising progress in our projects. Looking forward, we’re hopeful that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will increase funding for our dilapidated clinic initiatives through Bitara Madani next year.

"Last year, we invested almost RM100 million in dilapidated clinics nationwide. This year, there’s been a significant improvement, with the government allocating RM150 million to the Health Ministry,” he told a press conference following his visit to Pekan District Health Office in Pahang today.

He said out of the upgrading projects, the MOH directly oversaw 393, while the remaining were managed by implementing agencies of the Public Works Department.

Lukanisman intends to propose the establishment of comprehensive clinics for Pekan residents to the top leadership. Currently, the clinics are operating in the old district hospital building, which has since been relocated to a new facility.

"I’ll ensure that the planning and development team thoroughly assesses this need as it involves considerable costs. Otherwise, we’ll roll out the project gradually.

"Requests for such clinic projects are common, not just in Pahang but across Malaysia. States like Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Perak and others still require comprehensive clinics in various districts,” he said. — Bernama