Kuala pilah: The construction project for the additional block at Tuanku Ampuan Najihah Hospital (HTAN) here, previously classified as a sick project, is now showing encouraging progress with more than 90 percent completed and is expected to be fully completed by February next year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health member, Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan, revealed that the project, which began in 2021 and was originally scheduled for completion in August 2024, experienced some delays due to labor shortages during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that the project, covering an area of 1.7 hectares with an initial contract cost of RM139.35 million, now stands at approximately RM153 million under the current contract, with a work progress of 93.93 percent.

“Following our first site visit early last year, the contractor admitted the project was delayed by over 90 days and categorized as a sick project. The main cause was the MCO, as many workers returned to their home countries and faced difficulties re-entering Malaysia to resume work,” he stated. “The project is now progressing according to the revised schedule, with delays also due to the addition of an Infectious Diseases Ward that needed to be included in the hospital,” he told reporters after a visit to HTAN today.

Adnan, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kuala Pilah, mentioned that the new block will accommodate 144 patient beds, bringing the total bed capacity at HTAN to 458 beds. The project involves the construction of a six-storey main block housing various departments and facilities aimed at providing high-quality services to the public, particularly residents in the district.

Additionally, Adnan urged the Ministry of Health (MOH) to begin staffing arrangements for healthcare personnel at the hospital early, to ensure smooth operations and efficient healthcare delivery once the new hospital building becomes operational.