PETALING JAYA, Oct 12 — The construction of new additional blocks at the Banting and Sungai Buloh hospitals under Budget 2026 is timely and will help ease congestion at the facilities, said state executive councillor for public health Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
She said this in welcoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of a RM170 million allocation to address overcrowding at public hospitals and strengthen the national healthcare system.
“As we all know, Selangor has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) and population in the country due to its extensive economic and industrial activities.
“At the same time, we cannot overlook the pressing need for medical services due to the state’s high population. This allocation will allow hospitals to expand their capacity and improve the quality of healthcare services,” she said.
Jamaliah said this after officiating the Living with Dementia: Steps and Awareness programme organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) at Dewan BU 11 here today.
She added that the state government will continue to push for the construction of the Petaling Jaya Hospital to ensure that local residents have comprehensive access to public healthcare services.
“The state government has been advocating for a government hospital in Petaling Jaya as it is a densely populated area.
“At present, we have many private hospitals but no public hospitals. So, this remains one of the state government’s main goals moving forward,” she said.
Last Friday, Anwar announced a RM170 million allocation to address congestion in public hospitals and strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
Following the announcement, hospital construction and upgrading projects will be carried out at Banting Hospital and Sungai Buloh Hospital, as well as at other facilities including the Northern Region Cancer Centre in Kedah, the Sabah Heart Centre at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, and the USM Specialist Hospital in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
