The RM104 million Rembau Hospital in Negeri Sembilan will be opened in June, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.

The 76-bed hospital, the construction of which began in September 2013, would be part of a hospital cluster with the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital.

Dzulkefly said that Tuanku Jaafar Hospital specialists will visit the Rembau Hospital regularly to provide their services.

“The opening of the hospital will be a boon to local residents in getting the best health services,” he said, adding that the facility is now 90 percent complete.

The Rembau Hospital, which was supposed to be opened in September 2016, was among the issues raised by candidates in the ongoing campaign for the Rantau by-election.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with pharmaceutical industry players in Putrajaya today, Dzulkefly said the proposed upgrading of two health clinics in Rantau and Bandar Baru Sendayan to Type 3 facilities was already scheduled, and involved construction costs of RM35 million each.

The health clinics would have housing quarters for staff and be able to provide support and clinical services to about 800 patients a day, he said.

In another development, Dzulkefly said the ministry was conducting a breakdown of some mechanisms before announcing a special mechanism to implement price controls on drugs in the market.

Among the areas that need to be focused on are related to the supply chain and the role to be played by pharmaceutical industry players after the mechanism is announced before the end of this year, he said.

The April 13 Rantau by-election will see Pakatan Harapan’s Dr S Streram go up against BN's Mohamad Hasan and two independents.

- Bernama