JOHOR BARU: The Health Ministry has assured the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, that manpower and equipment shortages at the new Pasir Gudang Hospital will be resolved ahead of its opening.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, accompanied by senior ministry officials, including the secretary-general and the director-general of health, briefed Tunku Ismail on preparations for the hospital today.
Also present at the meeting was Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
“The Health Ministry will prioritise resolving manpower shortages and ensuring operational readiness at Pasir Gudang Hospital, which is slated to begin phased operations soon and fully open by mid-2026,” Dr Dzulkefly said in a Facebook post today.
He also updated Tunku Ismail on the hospital’s progress and acknowledged its importance in alleviating pressure on Johor’s overstretched healthcare system.
Among other issues discussed were measures to reduce patient waiting times, strengthening wellness and disease prevention programmes, and closer collaboration with the Johor government.
Dr Dzulkefly said the ministry was also prepared to work with the state to utilise undeveloped land at Hospital Permai for affordable housing projects.
Tunku Ismail, he added, emphasised the importance of balanced nutrition, citing the example set by the Johor Military Force (JMF).
“With Tuanku’s support and prayers, the ministry will continue to strengthen healthcare services in Johor and across the country,” Dr Dzulkefly added.
Meanwhile, Johor Health and Unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, who also attended the meeting, said the ministry will prioritise staffing and procurement issues to ensure the hospital begins operations smoothly.
“The ministry appreciates the Johor government’s support, particularly the allocation of more than RM12 million this year to strengthen healthcare services in the state,” he told the New Straits Times.
The Pasir Gudang Hospital, built at a cost of more than RM380 million, was completed earlier this year.
It is designed to serve as a 304-bed facility with 14 specialist clinics and key services including Accident and Emergency, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics.
The hospital was initially scheduled to open in phases from Aug 1 this year, but its launch was deferred due to manpower shortages and technical issues.
Tunku Ismail had urged the ministry to fast-track the deployment of medical staff to the hospital, citing critical manpower shortages across the state’s healthcare facilities.
He said the soon-to-open hospital must be fully staffed to ease congestion at the Sultanah Aminah, Sultan Ismail and Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim hospitals.
“Health services are not a luxury – they are a fundamental right,” he was quoted as saying.
The regent also called for the ministry to expedite postings and approvals for outstanding vacancies.
Full operations are now targeted for March 2026, with staffing projected to reach 1,845 personnel by July next year.
HPG is expected to ease congestion at Johor’s busiest hospitals—Sultanah Aminah, Sultan Ismail and Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim—by handling emergency and stable patient cases, thereby reducing overcrowding, bed shortages and delays in elective procedures.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
