‘Don’t sideline rural healthcare’: Hulu Selangor needs specialist hospital, says PKR leader

KUALA LUMPUR: Hulu Selangor needs its own large-scale government specialist hospital to serve its 300,000 population, who currently face long commutes and rely on hospitals outside the district.

Pakatan Harapan Hulu Selangor parliamentary coordinator Dr N. Sathia Prakash said the district, which covers nearly 20 per cent of Selangor’s total land area, is facing a sharp rise in healthcare demands.

He said this is driven by the growth of new residential areas and rapid industrial development.

“For some residents, travelling to receive treatment can take more than an hour depending on the location and traffic conditions.

“In emergency situations such as a stroke, heart attack, road accident, or high-risk pregnancy, a delay of just a few minutes can be the difference between life and death.

“In healthcare, time is life,” Sathia said in a statement today.

He was commenting on the proposed development of a new government hospital in Petaling Jaya, which he described as a positive and important step in meeting the healthcare needs of urban residents.

However, he said the needs of semi-urban and rural areas like Hulu Selangor must not be sidelined.

“The situation in Hulu Selangor is far different because this district does not only involve new development areas, but also encompasses many traditional villages, 16 Orang Asal villages, four Felda areas, small towns, as well as rural and remote communities that require closer and comprehensive healthcare access.

“Ultimately, many Hulu Selangor residents still have to rely on hospitals outside the district, such as Selayang Hospital, Sungai Buloh Hospital, and Slim River Hospital in Perak, to receive treatment,” he said.

Dr Sathia, who is also Hulu Selangor PKR division chief, said although Petaling Jaya has its own challenges, the area is surrounded by various healthcare facilities, including government hospitals, private hospitals, and major treatment centres that are more accessible to residents.

He added that rapid population growth in Hulu Selangor is expected to continue putting pressure on major hospitals in the Klang Valley if no large-scale healthcare facility is established in the district.

He said that balanced healthcare development must involve all areas without being concentrated only on cities and major locations.

“Hulu Selangor residents also pay taxes, contribute to state development, and have the right to closer, faster, and quality medical access.

“The Petaling Jaya hospital is important. But Hulu Selangor also cannot continue to be marginalised,” he said.

Yesterday, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that the Petaling Jaya Hospital will be constructed as a vertical facility with a capacity of 500 beds.

Amirudin said that the same design concept had previously been implemented at Ampang Hospital, which optimises costs for the Health Ministry without needing an extensively large plot of land.

Previously, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said a modern sports complex on a 6ha site, X Park PJ South in Taman Medan, had been identified as the construction site for a public hospital to serve the needs of residents in Petaling Jaya, Subang, and Puchong.

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المصدر: New Straits Times