FOR something as normal as a cataract operation, Penang island patients needing the procedure have to travel to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital some 30km away on the mainland.

This is because the Penang Hospital, the main government-run hospital in the state, has been unable to handle many surgeries for more than a year, with 10 of its operating theatres (OTs) still closed for upgrading.

Former Penang Hospital Visitors’ Board chairman Lim Thoon Deong said there had been many complaints about the delay, which has put patients on long waiting lists and forced them to travel to mainland hospitals for surgeries.

“For eye operations, they have to go to Bukit Mertajam. This is troublesome for older patients.

“We hope the new federal government can do something about it. The delay will cause more problems,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“This is nothing political. It is for the sake of the people, especially those who cannot afford private medical treatment,” the deputy president of the Penang Diabetic Society and Caring Dialysis Centre deputy chairman said.

The visitors’ board was made up of political appointees – people from Barisan Nasional, the former ruling coalition that has since been replaced by Pakatan Harapan after the May 9 polls. The board, Lim said, is now “on hold”.

Lim, who is active in civil society and charity work, said he was told by the hospital and the visitors’ board chairman that some upgrading specifications were not met, which contributed to the delay.

“Many other hospitals outside Penang have the same problem too.”

The OT upgrading works, which reportedly started at the end of 2016 were supposed to be finished months ago, but have yet to be completed because “additional work” needed to be done.

The blame is largely on the contractor appointed for the job by the previous Barisan Nasional government.

Penang Hindu Association (PHA) deputy president P. Murugiah, who has also been monitoring the situation after hearing complaints, raised the issue with the media yesterday, saying that it should not have happened.

“...but all the same, there are so many projects delayed; thanks to incompetent contractors, political interference and crony selection of contractors.

“The government should immediately provide mobile operation theatres to speed up the treatment for the poor patients,” said Murugiah, who manages the Temple of Fine Arts’ Derma Sivasanta free clinic on Jalan Sungai.

The state government is aware of the problem, said Penang health exco Dr Afif Bahardin, who had visited the hospital early last month to get updates especially on the delayed OT upgrading works.

He said many complaints had come from both Penang Hospital staff and patients.

“The physical works on the OTs are 99% complete but the contractor has to finish some extra safety work now.

“They need to put in radiation shielding for the OTs, which will use X-ray machines. The shielding is to protect the patients and hospital staff.

“It was not part of the contractor’s original contract. It wasn’t in the budget before,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Dr Afif said the work would take some time and the delay would likely drag on until the end of this year.

“This same contractor is also doing upgrading works for the Seberang Jaya Hospital’s OTs and emergency department.”

Dr Afif said it was accurate to say that the long delay has affected the delivery of medical and healthcare services by the Penang Hospital, which offers many important specialist services for the state.

Patients and staff from the Penang Hospital had been moving about to the Seberang Jaya, Kepala Batas and Bukit Mertajam Hospitals on the mainland for operations and healthcare services since the past year, he said.

“It has been a challenge for the hospital. Medical services and quality healthcare are affected. I believe this issue is also faced by government hospitals in other states.

“The Penang government is monitoring the situation closely. I have brought this up with the health minister in early June. The ministry’s secretary-general and JKR (Public Works Department) are also in the know.” – June 30, 2018.