Taiping: The Perak state government has refuted allegations by a local news portal asserting that Taiping Hospital is devoid of housemen, which purportedly disrupts the hospital's operations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman Datuk A. Sivanesan confirmed that there are currently 93 housemen serving at Malaysia's oldest hospital. He emphasized that the claim of having no housemen at the hospital is entirely unfounded. However, he admitted that the hospital management is addressing and working to resolve other existing shortages.

The announcement was made during a press conference held after Datuk A. Sivanesan, along with Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh, who is also the Taiping Member of Parliament, visited Taiping Hospital. Previously, on September 7, a health news portal reported that the absence of housemen had compelled medical officers to undertake additional duties typically assigned to housemen, alongside their clinical responsibilities.

Addressing the separate issue of parking at the hospital, Sivanesan revealed plans to tackle the problem through restructuring existing areas in partnership with the private sector, which includes building a mechanical parking facility. This initiative aims to alleviate congestion and the scarcity of parking spots at the hospital. Sivanesan explained that due to the limited land available, constructing a multi-storey parking facility would optimize the use of the hospital's space.

He further detailed that the project would also involve installing signboards and marking parking bays for both patients and staff, enhancing the overall parking experience.