The Bukit Mertajam Hospital (HBM) will broaden its services with the addition of a brand new wing on land previously occupied by the deserted Bukit Mertajam Resthouse.
The Penang authorities has accepted the concession of the three.2ha website, positioned throughout the street from the hospital, to deal with rising healthcare wants.
Human Sources Minister and Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim stated the growth challenge is on the design stage.
“Hospital Bukit Mertajam now has about 240 beds. We hope to a minimum of double that with the improve,” he informed reporters after a go to to the hospital.
Sim added that he’ll meet Well being Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to expedite planning approval and safe federal help for the challenge.
The previous resthouse was amongst a number of colonial-era services that offered lodging for presidency officers throughout work journey. It has remained deserted for years as accommodations turned extra prevalent.
Sim’s go to adopted the hospital’s recognition on the 2025 Hospital Administration Asia Awards, the place it received the Gold Award for Most Sustainable Hospital in Asia.
“That is no unusual feat for a 135-year-old hospital,” he stated, noting that power use had been lowered by almost 11%, equal to planting about 4,000 bushes and avoiding 350 tonnes of carbon emissions. The financial savings additionally minimize working prices by RM250,000 final yr.
He credited initiatives such because the hospital’s zero-waste programme, a paperless emergency division and upgraded bathroom services. His workplace contributed RM200,000 to enhance sanitation services, which he described as very important in a healthcare atmosphere.
Sim additionally highlighted the set up of a RM5mil CT scanner final yr, secured throughout his tenure within the Finance Ministry. The scanner has enabled the hospital to serve about 6,500 sufferers yearly, lowering the necessity for transfers to different hospitals in Seberang Jaya or George City.
Hospital director Dr R. Prashant thanked Sim for his continued help, saying annual allocations had helped modernise providers starting from IT upgrades to medical tools.
“The growth will strengthen the hospital’s means to serve the Bukit Mertajam group,” he stated.
