Recently the shortage of beds in the Klang Hospital and the ensuing inconvenience and hardship of the affected patients was highlighted in the press and Dr Xavier Jayakumar, the sate sssemblyman for Seri Andalas in Klang revealed that no new hospitals have been built in Selangor for the past 10 years.

Malaysia has a reasonably good public healthcare system catering to people from all walks of life especially those in the lower income category who are the main users of the government hospital facilities.

Upgrading hospitals as well as building new ones especially in Selangor, where the population has increased dramatically in the last 10-20 years must be an essential ongoing process to keep pace with the greater demand, increased healthcare benefits and new medical technology.

There is an urgent need to upgrade or build new district hospitals which can ease the pressure on major hospitals such as the Klang hospital, UH, KLGH and the hospitals in Sungai Buloh and Serdang.

In this regard, it will be a good move by the government if it builds a new hospital in Banting, not merely upgrading it, considering the population increase in both the Kuala Langat and Sepang districts brought about by rapid urban developments.

Presently, patients have to go to other major hospitals 30-50 kilometers away for more complex medical check-ups and treatment. Considering the rapid progress of the country, the large increase in houseman (trainees) doctors and the larger government budgetary allocations, a new hospital could be built to cater for the Kuala Langat and nearby areas.

Alternatively, the Banting Hospital can be upgraded into a larger one, considering that there is enough land for this purpose. Or else the new hospital can be built on a different site as there are large tracts of government reserve land easily available in Banting.

A new coastal highway linking Banting – Teluk Intan is now taking shape and will link all the coastal districts which do not have major hospitals. Many present and future factors favour a new Banting Hospital and it is hoped that both the federal and state governments will consider the viability of building one.

source:MJNnews