Metro

Saturday May 17, 2008

Project at a standstill once again

By DEBBIE CHAN


THE University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Obstetric Paediatric Ward project was supposed to have been completed next month, 18 months after construction resumed in December 2006. However, the structure is far from complete and works have ground to a halt yet again.

The contractors stopped work four months ago and hospital staff became concerned as the project, which began in 2002, was first abandoned in mid-2003 until given a new lease of life in late 2006 when it was confirmed that sufficient funds for the project had been obtained.

Still not finished: The UMMC management board has called for tenders to complete the project seen above.

This is the second time that construction work has stopped.

”In late 2006, we received funds to continue the project and we selected a contractor after an open tender process. However, four months ago, the contractor decided to pull out because of the rise in steel prices.

“They could not cope and had to terminate the project,” UM deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin said.

The UMMC management board has since called out for tenders for the project and they will finalise the new contractor at the next board meeting.

“Hopefully, we would be able to select a new contractor as soon as possible and we are looking for the project to be completed anytime between September 2009 to the end of 2009,” Dr Mohd Amin explained.

The halted project lies between UMMC’s Menara Timur and the surau and was supposed to provide the paediatric department with a block containing nine floors and three basement floors while the obstetric department would get a block with four floors and three basement floors.

The ward was aimed at providing enough beds for patients, as there is a shortage of beds at the moment.

The building was initiated under the 7th Malaysia Plan and was designed to be built in two phases because there were not enough funds under the 7th Malaysia Plan. The funding for the project had to be spilled over to the 8th Malaysian Plan.

On April 22, 2004, the Finance Ministry officially told UMMC that there were not enough funds to finance the project due to the economic downturn and asked UMMC to resubmit applications for funds under the 9th Malaysia Plan instead.

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