THE Health Ministry will give priority to inspecting electrical wiring at all government hospitals nationwide to prevent fires, such as the one that happened at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) in Johor Baru, yesterday from recurring.

Minister Dr Adham Baba said certain allocations have also been approved for that purpose. 

“We will see that electrical systems are checked nationwide. In fact several critical allocations have been approved,” he told reporters after visiting the Chini Health Clinic today.

Adham was commenting on the blaze at the women’s ward of the HSA at 3pm yesterday. However, there were no fatalities as all 24 patients in the ward were rescued.

In October 2016, a fire had broken out on the second floor of the hospital’s intensive care unit, leaving six dead.

Meanwhile, Adham expressed his gratitude to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar who has agreed to bear the cost of repairing the HSA women’s ward.

“As requested by the sultan, three parties – the Fire and Rescue Department, the Public Works Department and the ministry will discuss and come out with the best plan.

“I visited the area yesterday and saw the areas to be improved. The whole complex needs rewiring and upgrading and the patients’ accommodation must be improved,” he said.

Through his official Facebook page, Sultan Ibrahim said the cost would be fully borne by Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation. – Bernama, June 29, 2020.