KUALA LUMPUR: Upgrades to Armed Forces hospitals and medical facilities are coming, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
“Firstly, all five Hospital Angkatan Tentera (HATs) will undergo maintenance and upgrades. As much as RM4.67mil has been allocated to upgrade equipment, while RM2.6mil will be used for building maintenance and RM30.66mil for medical supplies.
“Next, all 19 Rumah Sakit Angkatan Tentera (RSATs), 48 Armed Forces Medical Centres (PPATs) and 40 Armed Forces Dental Centres (PGATs) will also undergo maintenance and upgrades.
“For this, RM13.3mil will be allocated for maintenance and RM61mil for medical equipment and medicine,” he said after a working visit to the Hospital Angkatan Tentera Tuanku Mizan in Wangsa Maju yesterday.
The visit was jointly conducted with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Hishammuddin also announced that two field hospitals will be purchased at a cost of RM47mil, as well as 40 new field ambulances.
“This is an important purchase in the Armed Forces’ preparation to mobilise more field hospitals if needed by the Health Ministry, especially for the floods that are expected to occur at the end of the year,” he said.
An additional RM325mil has also been allocated for Kem Terendak HAT, following a report on the current state of the hospital.
In an unrelated matter, Hishammuddin has hit back against Lim Guan Eng after he said the Defence Minister had topped his top 10 list of failed ministers.
“In politics, when someone issues such a statement, it shows that they are worried about what we have accomplished. If they don’t care about us, that means we didn’t do our work.
“To Guan Eng, continue on talking. I know that even until the day of judgement comes, he will never say that I am a successful minister,” he said.
The former finance minister said that Hishammudin topped his list of failed ministers following the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) scandal.