Hospital Kulat Reopening Delayed

No word yet about hospital
By By R. Sittamparam

Jan 1, the deadline for the opening of the Sultan Ismail Specialist Hospital in Pandan after fungal decontamination, has come and gone but the facility remains closed. The State Health Department is still awaiting word from the Health Ministry on the date for the re-opening of the hospital.

A spokesman said his department had learnt that the Public Works Department was still working on the clean-up at the hospital.

The RM557.8 million hospital was closed on Sept 25 last year after faulty air-conditioning led to a serious fungal infection.

The fungi identified as Aspergillus and Penicillium started growing at the ground floor of the hospital and spread to the upper floors, contaminating hospital equipment and furniture.

The hospital was 91 per cent completed with nearly 75 per cent of equipment installed when the problem was detected.

It is believed that the Government had allocated additional funds for the clean-up operation at the hospital.

The PWD had also instructed the contractor to do some upgrading work at the hospital including repairs and re-painting.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu stated last November that his ministry would not face problems in handing over the hospital to the Health Ministry by Jan 1. He said work was under way to treat the infection and keep it from recurring.

When contacted, State Excos for Housing and Public Works Datuk Baderi Dasuki and Local Government and Health, Datuk Halimah Sadique said they would look into the matter, and issue separate statements on it on Monday.

It has been more than 3 months since this Hospital Kulat was closed for cleaning up operations after having been in use for a short while. It appears that there must be plenty to clean up and not what our Works MINIster earlier described as the 'usual fungal infection' that new buildings can have. It also looks like the Works MINIster is not able to live up to his promise of having the hospital operational by his own deadline. Can the taxpayers receive an update soon from those in-charge regarding the state of the clean-up and when will this hospital be available for use minus the kulat infection?