By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Oct 23 — It is high time Petaling Jaya gets its own public hospital, lawmakers from one of the country’s most populated cities said in a call to the government, citing the need to improve healthcare access for local residents.
With a growing and ageing population, they believe a dedicated hospital would help address overcrowding and long waiting times at existing public healthcare facilities there.
Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lim Yi Wei, who has been championing the initiative, said many residents currently rely on the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM), which operates as a university hospital rather than a full-fledged healthcare facility, for treatment.
Others either visit nearby public health clinics, like the one in Kelana Jaya, or are forced to make the journey to hospitals in Selayang, Sungai Buloh, and Shah Alam.
“However, these facilities are quite far from Petaling Jaya, and PPUM, being a university hospital, is more expensive,” she told Selangor Journal yesterday.
Lim first raised the matter during a dialogue session for the 13th Malaysia Plan with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli at the Shah Alam City Council Convention Centre recently.
While Rafizi acknowledged the need for a public hospital in the bustling urban centre, he cited high land acquisition costs and the limited availability of suitable land as major challenges.
As a short-term solution, she proposed extending the Bantuan Kehidupan Sejahtera Selangor (Bingkas) welfare initiative to cover costs for residents seeking treatment at PPUM.
“If the Health Ministry is not keen on building a hospital, which I understand due to the challenges involving the cost, land, construction, and staffing, I propose extending the Bingkas scheme to cover treatments at PPUM.
“Last year, the government introduced hospitalisation benefits for certain procedures in private hospitals, but PPUM was not included. I believe it should be as doing so would significantly ease the burden on PJ residents.” Lim said.
Bingkas is a welfare programme initiated by the state government aimed at providing financial assistance to B40 households.
Under the initiative, eligible recipients receive RM300 monthly for two years to cover essential expenses like food, medical supplies, and educational needs.
The assemblyman also suggested potential locations should the Federal government agree to build a new hospital, including the old Employees Provident Fund building in Petaling Jaya that was damaged by fire in May last year, as well as the Sungai Way Free Trade Industrial Zone area.
“We should also conduct an audit to identify suitable land for the hospital,” she said.
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung echoed Lim’s concerns on the need for Petaling Jaya’s own public hospital, pointing to PPUM’s insufficient bed capacity.
However, he said the Federal government appears to prefer expanding PPUM’s services rather than building a new hospital, given the high costs associated with land acquisition.
“We welcome that (proposal). I am also working on a satellite clinic by PPUM at Taman Medan.
“But of course, the current hospital beds in Petaling Jaya are inadequate. We need more,” Lee said when contacted.
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