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November 24, 2009 13:05 PM

KMC Invests RM10 Million To Increase Capacity

By Azeman Bin Ariffin

ALOR SETAR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- The Kedah Medical Centre (KMC), a hospital under the KPJ Healthcare Group(KPJ) here, has invested RM10 million to enhance capacity in the medical industry.

Its general manager Khairun Ahmad said the investment is for 2008 and 2009 and includes the purchase of a MRI 1.5 scanner for RM3 million.

He said, apart from this, the KMC had also allocated RM3.5 million for renovations to a new ward to increase the number of beds to 31 and also improve the status of the emergency ward.

According to Khairun,the renovations to the ward on the sixth floor of the KMC - the only private facility in Alor Setar - will enable the total number of beds in it to be increased to 137 from next year.

"The number of patients at the KMC is increasing following public confidence in the services and expertise available. The KMC is also the only private hospital in the state with a heart surgery facility," he told Bernama here on Tuesday.

Khairun said with the new ward, KMC will increase its number of specialists and healthcare staff to meet the growing demand for services.

He said, KMC to date has 30 medical specialists in various fields including paediatricians,surgeons and heart specialists apart from 375 medical assistants and trained nurses.

He also highlighted that the KMC had purchased land for RM1 million next to the hospital to provide a convenient car park facility for visitors.

"At present the car park space is actually limited due to the number of visitors.With the number increasing, we have taken a number of steps to improve the situation and one is to, purchase the land for the car park," he explained.

The KMC was established in 1987 as the Northern Specialist Centre and owned by the Kedah State Economic Development Corporation (PKNK). In 1991, the KPJ bought a 45 per cent stake in the hospital.

The specialist hospital was renamed the KMC in 2001 with the PKNK having a 47 per cent stake and the balance by the public.

-- BERNAMA

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