The Pasir Gudang Hospital has commenced “initial” operations with the healthcare facility operating at about 20% capacity for now, says health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Dzulkefly said the hospital’s operations had started with its emergency department, due to a lack of manpower, while other facilities and healthcare workers would be added in phases.
He said his ministry had drawn up a staggered plan to overcome the lack of human resources, which includes immediate postings to the RM380 million hospital, Bernama reported.
“The manpower issue is a national challenge that we are addressing comprehensively… We are giving special focus in Johor because we want this hospital to function at its optimum capacity as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying.
Acknowledging Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim’s concerns over the hospital’s lack of manpower, Dzulkefly said he had explained the ministry’s plans to the Johor regent.
“His royal highness wants these efforts to be expedited,” he added.
The minister said that, as announced previously, Pasir Gudang Hospital is expected to operate at full capacity by mid-2026.
The hospital, which comes with 304 beds, is among the health ministry’s key healthcare projects in Johor.
Dzulkefly had earlier said the hospital would commence operations in phases starting from Aug 1.
On Aug 5, Johor health executive councillor Ling Tian Soon said the hospital’s opening has been postponed to 2026 due to issues such as a lack of healthcare staff.
Ling said the hospital would, in the meantime, be used as a “support facility” for Sultanah Aminah Hospital and Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru.
