PAPAR - A total of 12 hospital and clinic construction projects under the Health Ministry have been identified as 'sick' projects, including three in Sabah.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the three identified sick projects were Papar Hospital, Beaufort Hospital and Sikuati Health Clinic, Kudat.
"We have identified sick projects across the country. There are 12 projects and in Sabah there are three projects that are categorised as sick projects, the rest are in the peninsula and Sarawak.
"Papar Hospital is an old project that we categorised as a 'sick project' that was awarded in 2017 but there are some constraints as a result of a briefing from the Public Works Department (JKR) and the contractor itself," she told the reporters after a visit to the Papar Hospital project site, in here, on Saturday.
She said the Papar Hospital is 11.72 per cent completed, which is about three months late, Beaufort Hospital is 45.9 per cent completed with a delay of one year and six months and Sikuati Health Clinic is 37.12 at per cent with a delay of almost nine months.
She added that during her visit, she also saw the development of the construction of Papar Hospital which has now reached 62 percent of its construction.
"Although it is slightly behind our expectations which is 70 percent, but we have seen the development and will continue to carry out discussions and monitoring with the Health Ministry, JKR and also the contractor.
"This May, we expect there will be new developments to complete mechanical, electrical and equipment and we expect this hospital to be ready by the end of the year," she said.
In this regard, Zaliha said, the project costing up to RM98.5 million will benefit about 100,000 residents in Papar and its surroundings.
Before that, this project involved the construction of a ward with an increase of 84 beds which includes a Pediatric Ward, a Women's Ward and a Men's Ward and the services that will be provided are Emergency and Trauma, Imaging (X-Ray), Satellite Pharmacy, Operating Theater and other departments and services that are related.