KUCHING: The Petra Jaya Hospital is expected to be fully operational by 2025.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the construction progress of the second largest hospital in Sarawak is ahead of its original schedule.
With the current progress, he said, physically, this hospital will be fully completed on November 25, 2024, thus reducing overcrowding at the Sarawak General Hospital.
“After being physically ready, there will be several processes that need to be carried out, such as the handing over of the project, the equipment installation phase, and so on, before it can fully operate.
“We will try to ensure that this hospital can be operated and benefit the people of Sarawak a few months after the project is completed, possibly in 2025,” he said at a press conference after his work visit to Petra Jaya Hospital here today (Jan 8).
Adding on, he also said that the contractors will speed up the construction work in the next few months.
“I am aware that this kind of sick project faced manpower issues, but the contractor informed me that they have enough work force with a combination of locals, foreigners and people from Peninsular Malaysia.
“With this increased workforce, I instruct the Public Works Department (JKR) to continue to monitor this project thoroughly to ensure that the project runs smoothly according to the set schedule.
“We hope that throughout the period, there will be no unwanted things such as the pandemic or a movement control order (MCO) that may disrupt the schedule,” he said.
Meanwhile, in relation to public parking, Lukanisman disclosed that currently the contractor has informed JKR that there will be about 1,569 parking spaces for vehicles inside and outside the building and 1,283 parking spaces for motorcyclists.
For the record, Petra Jaya Hospital began its construction in May 2013 and was originally scheduled to be completed in November 2016.
However, its completion date was delayed due to the previous contractor’s failure to complete the project according to the schedule set.
The project was retendered in 2020 after being categorised as a sick project, and Blackfox Engineering Sdn Bhd was appointed as the new contractor at a cost of RM410,300,000.
