Alor setar: The RM13.96 million multi-storey car park under construction at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB) is on track to be completed by the end of next month, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced. This infrastructure endeavor aims to alleviate the persistent parking challenges experienced by patients, visitors, and hospital staff.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the facility is part of a federal government initiative to enhance infrastructure at the government hospital, which sees a significant number of visitors daily. The car park will provide 500 covered parking bays and 400 open parking bays and is slated for completion on April 30. This development is anticipated to ease congestion and address the parking shortage effectively.

Further details reveal that the Health Ministry continuously assesses the need for facility upgrades at government hospitals to deliver optimal healthcare services. The ministry allocated RM6.93 million in development funds to HSB from 2023 to 2025, covering 63 projects. Additionally, an invasive cardiology laboratory (ICL) valued at RM22.5 million has been added at HSB to cut down waiting times for heart procedures.

This new ICL, the second at HSB, is expected to reduce patient wait times for procedures by up to 50 percent. The hospital's commitment to this improvement includes the deployment of six cardiology specialists, reinforcing its role as a major referral center in the northern region.