The Kuantan Specialist Hospital (KSH), a subsidiary of KPJ Healthcare Bhd, will open a RM100 million hospital to upgrade its services to meet the demand for healthcare services in the country.

Its general manager, Muhammad Badri Hussin, said the 11-floor hospital in Tanjung Lumpur would be the 26th under the group.

"KSH previously operated in Jalan Alor Akar. With rapid economic development in the state, we need to operate in a new well-equipped hospital.

"The construction of the hospital started at end-2012 and is expected to start operations by year-end. It will have 188 beds compared with 72 now.

"It will also be equipped with modern diagnostic equipment," he told Bernama here today.

Currently, he said, the hospital was still awaiting the approval for the building from the relevant authorities and licence from the Health Ministry before starting operations.

Muhammad Badri said after the completion of the process, KSH would be known as KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital.

After the completion of the move to the new hospital, the old building in Jalan Alor Akar would become the first cancer centre in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, he said.

Meanwhile, he said, KPJ continued its corporate social responsibility by undertaking the initiative to carry out 'Plant a Tree 2015' project in Pantai Sepat here today.

He said the project involved 43 KSH staff and staff of Pahang Forestry Department planting 250 seedlings in Rhu beach.

"One of the objects of the project was to reduce the carbon footprint by five percent from 2014 to 2020," he said.