Harden (middle) and the others pose at the hospital entrance.
KUCHING (May 23): The new Sri Aman Hospital is expected to be fully completed in October this year. This was by announced Assistant Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis.
Harden, who is also Simanggang assemblyman, said in a statement that he had been briefed on the progress of the hospital project during a site visit on May 21. He believed the hospital to be named Hospital Sri Aman II, with 108 beds and equipped with specialist medical facilities, is not just a mega project but also a landmark for development in Simanggang town.
“I am optimistic that the new hospital will be ready soon, and hopefully the operations of this hospital can be implemented by stages to accommodate the demand of the people here who need specialist medical attention,” he said in the statement issued on May 22.
He also mentioned that the new hospital project was once a hot topic. It was approved in 2007 but has been long delayed and construction only commenced in 2016.
“I call on community leaders here to explain this latest progress to the people, so that they will not be swayed by claims by opposition that there is no development brought by the government,” said Harden.
Sri Aman Resident Indit Bangai was among those who accompanied Harden during the site visit. They were received by officials from the federal Public Works Department (JKR) led by senior engineer Loretta Nihol as well as the main contractor and architect personnel.
The project costing almost RM200 million had consisted of two phases. The first involved clearing and piling work costing RM12 million while the second involving building construction cost RM180 million. According to previous press reports, the new hospital was scheduled to be operational by June next year.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak approved the project in 2007 and the first phase of clearing and piling work on the 51-acre site was completed in August 2013. Construction of the hospital only started in 2016. Previous press reports also mentioned the new hospital as having the potential to be a leading health facility for residents in the surrounding areas, including Lubok Antu, Simunjan and Betong.