Sunday October 9, 2011

New hospital for women and kids near HKL

PUTRAJAYA: The special hospital for women and children proposed in the Budget is expected to be built near Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

She said the hospital, which would be staffed with specialists, would greatly benefit the target group.

“I hope that the treatment of women and children will improve and be more systematic with the setting up of the hospital,” she told reporters after opening the 1Malaysia Central Zone 2011 Healthy Student Programme here yesterday.

In tabling the Budget in Parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said that the hospital would be built through a public-private sector partnership at a cost of RM700mil.

Better treatment: The RM700mil hospital will be built near HKL through a public-private sector partnership.

He had also announced free human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation jabs to be implemented nationwide by the National Population and Family Development Board.

Rosnah said the Government spent RM1.3bil last year to buy medicine to treat patients of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart problems, diabetes and hypertension.

“We expect an average increase of 12% in the cost of medicine each year as the number of people suffering from NCDs is on the rise,” she said, adding that 144,459 people were warded in public hospitals last year for NCDs.

She said NCDs were the major cause of deaths in public hospitals last year with 25.4% of the patients, or 11,812, having died due various diseases.

Being obese is one of the main common risk factors for chronic illnesses or non-communicable diseases.

NCD, including heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, can lead to severe complications if not detected early.

News

Sunday October 9, 2011

New hospital for women and kids near HKL