4 days ago
Perak MB: Gerik Hospital needs urgent upgrade to handle East-West Highway accidents
IPOH: Gerik Hospital is in urgent need of an upgrade as it struggles to cope with the high number of accident victims from the East-West Highway, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said.
He added that the hospital rePerak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad delivers his speech during the closing ceremony of the Perak Export Day event at Casuarina Hotel a new building, more specialists, and improved facilities.
He said the matter was raised during today's state executive council meeting by State Women, Family Development, Community Welfare, Cooperatives and Entrepreneur Development Committee Chairman Datuk Salbiah Mohamed.
"Salbiah pointed out that the frequent accidents in the Gerik area have made it critical for the hospital to be equipped with a new building, additional specialists, and upgraded facilities," he told reporters after closing the Perak Export Day event at Casuarina Hotel today.
He said the state Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan will prepare a working paper on the matter.
Saarani said that the state government will submit the proposal, as Gerik Hospital currently cannot cope with the increasing number of accident victims.
"We also discussed the location of accidents along the highway, which is a long stretch.
"If an accident occurs in the middle of the route, someone has to call the Gerik police station, and then the police and fire department must respond, which can take up to an hour.
"With the high volume of traffic, accidents in the middle of the route can cause delays of up to three hours before victims reach the hospital," he said.
According to the Perak Health Department website, Gerik Hospital was built in 1919 on an 3.23 hectare site at Jalan Intan.
It began operating in 1957 and has since undergone several upgrades, including the construction of a new building completed in 1992.
Gerik Hospital is the only government hospital providing medical services in the Hulu Perak district.
On Monday, the bus, carrying 42 UPSI students, was travelling from Jertih, Terengganu, to the university's main campus when it collided with a Perodua Alza at KM53 of the East-West Highway.
