PUTRAJAYA - Ten hospitals under the Health Ministry (MOH) today received recognition as ibadah-friendly hospitals (HMI) for providing facilities and guidance for patients to perform their ibadah while receiving treatments.
The hospitals are Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (Terengganu); Serdang Hospital and Shah Alam Hospital (Selangor); Taiping Hospital and Teluk Intan Hospital (Perak); Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (Kedah); Penang Hospital; Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital, Batu Pahat and Pontian Hospital, Johor; and National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya.
The certificates of recognition were presented by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali to representatives of the hospitals at the National HMI Convocation Ceremony 2022 here, with Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff also present.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Dr Noor Azmi said HMI is a collaborative programme between the MOH and Jakim to fulfil the spiritual needs of patients while undergoing treatment at health facilities through ibadah.
"Through this programme, the hospitals provide prayer facilities, motivate patients and even teach them how to perform ablution and pray during sickness. This is important because prayer is an act of worship,” he said.
When asked if the programme will be extended to private hospitals, he said the ministry welcomes them to implement the initiative.
"It is voluntary; if possible, we really want all hospitals to apply the HMI concept. (But) for now, the intention is to empower HMI in government hospitals,” he said.
The auditing process for HMI recognition was carried out by a group of officers trained by the HMI secretariat, based on standards developed by MOH and Jakim.
The HMI standards contain six main cores, namely organisation and management; human resource development and management; policies and procedures; equipment and facilities; safety and quality improvement activities and cooperation with external agencies. - BERNAMA