PARIT BUNTAR: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, officially opened the new Parit Buntar Hospital (HPB), marking a major milestone in the Health Ministry’s ongoing commitment to strengthen public healthcare for the people of Perak, particularly residents of the Kerian district and surrounding areas.
The modern facility, which has been operational since Sept 3 last year, serves a population of more than 170,000. Its opening eliminates the need for local patients to travel long distances or cross state borders to access specialist medical treatment.
Strategically situated on the border with Penang and Kedah, the official opening consolidates the hospital’s position as a key referral facility for the ministry in Malaysia’s northern region.
To deliver high-standard care, the new hospital is staffed by resident specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine. It offers six primary specialist services: General Medicine, Emergency and Trauma Care, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Surgery, and Orthopaedics.
The hospital is equipped with comprehensive clinical support infrastructure, including two modern operating theatres, a High Dependency Unit (HDU), and a Respiratory and Hemodynamic Unit (RHU). Maternity and child services have been enhanced with a dedicated delivery suite comprising six birth rooms.
Despite requiring intensive initial earthworks to stabilise the paddy field terrain, as well as navigating delays brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, close collaboration between various agencies successfully delivered this vital public infrastructure.
The Health Ministry reiterated its resolve to maintain Hospital Parit Buntar at the highest level of operational efficiency, in line with the Health White Paper reform agenda aimed at creating a fair, equitable, and human-centred healthcare system.
Speaking at the ceremony, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad noted that Perak’s healthcare network now comprises one psychiatric institution, 14 hospitals, 89 health clinics, 78 dental clinics, 10 maternal and child health clinics, 188 rural clinics, and 16 community clinics.
“Today, that development continues in the Kerian district,” Dr Dzulkefly said.
“Home to nearly 170,000 residents, the district holds a highly strategic geographical position bordering Penang and Kedah directly. The brand-new Parit Buntar Hospital stands as a crucial referral facility in the northern region to complement the state’s existing healthcare network.”
Built at a cost of RM173.3m, the hospital represents a sincere delivery by the government to support the Perak Sejahtera 2030 socio-economic vision.
Constructed across six main building blocks, the hospital houses 76 beds across male, female, paediatric, and maternity wards, alongside the HDU. The delivery suite features six dedicated birth rooms and a three-bed observation bay. Clinical capabilities are further supported by a Pregnancy Assessment Centre and two modern operating theatres, one of which has been operational since April 3.
In addition to emergency services restructured around modern treatment zones, the facility provides holistic clinical support including specialist clinics, haemodialysis, diagnostic imaging, pathology, and transfusion services, and a pharmacy. Resident specialists in internal medicine and emergency medicine ensure that every patient receives appropriate specialist care.
