Sufficient facilities in government hospitals - Dr Hilmi

The people are assured that health facilities are adequate in the government hospitals in Johor despite the temporary suspension of services in the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) following a safety assessment of the hospital's main building.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said this was because of the medical and treatment facilities provided in other government hospitals as well as services of specialists from HSA being placed in these hospitals.

"Apart from Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) the specialists and their team from HSA are also sent to Permai Hospital, Segamat Hospital, Temenggung Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim Hospital, Mersing Hospital and nearby district hospitals.

"We have 13 operating theatres in HSA and we have closed 12 of them. If there are patients who need surgery, we will send to the hospitals concerned, so we have no problem in helping the people in Johor Bahru," he told reporters in HSI here on Friday.

HSA is a referral hospital for Johor and provides specialist services in terms of medicine, surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, neurosurgery besides being the Coronary Care and Cardiovascular Surgery Centre for the southern region, Sabah and Sarawak.

Meanwhile Dr Hilmi said the two nurses, Nursuhaily Saliman @ Suleiman, 23, and Nurul Ain Zulkurnain, 24, and a physiotherapist trainee, Siti Nurshafika Mohd Amsah, 21, who were injured during the incident after inhaling thick smoke were now recovering.

"They have been receiving the best treatment and attention from the HSI staff," he said, adding however that the sole surviving patient in the fire, S. Suppamah, 67, was still in critical condition and under observation. - Bernama