Sultanah Aminah Hospital closes all 12 operating theatres - Dr Hilmi

The Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru, which suffered a fire recently, has closed all 12 operating theatres and transferred the service to nearby hospitals, said Deputy Health Ministry Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.

He also said that the Intensive Care Unit had been transferred to the Sultan Ismail Hospital.

"The specialists and supporting staff conduct the surgeries at these hospitals and then return to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital," he told reporters at the lobby of Parliament House.

Dr Hilmi was asked to comment on the developments at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital on Oct 25 which claimed the lives of six of seven patients at the southern ICU.

On the offer by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, for the Royal Ward at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital to be used by the patients, he said there had been no necessity to do so thus far.

"The field hospital set up by the military is sufficient, so there's no problem," he said.

Following the fire, the Health Ministry ordered the temporary closure of the main building of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in stages to allow for an evaluation of the safety, electrical wiring and building structure.

This was expected to take two to four weeks. -- BERNAMA