A LONG-AWAITED new public parking facility at the Bayan Baru Health Clinic has been officially opened, providing major relief for patients, visitors and staff.
Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said the project, which began on July 15 and was completed on Nov 7 this year, cost RM422,626 from his parliamentary development allocation.
He said the clinic received one of the largest allocations this year, as improving public healthcare facilities remained his top priority.
“Before the upgrade, the clinic only had 42 parking bays in front of the building.
“With the new extension, it now has 96 additional parking bays at the back, two covered parking bays for staff and 86 covered motorcycle bays,” he said.
Sim said the improvements also included paved walkways, upgraded paths, better signages and safety features.
He said the clinic was among the busiest in Penang, receiving between 800 and 900 visitors a day, and operating until 9.30pm.
Sim also highlighted that his office had upgraded the surrounding infrastructure, including the back service road near the fire station at a cost of RM178,160.
A damaged pedestrian bridge in front of the fire station was also rebuilt at a cost of RM100,000.
In total, Sim said about RM700,000 had been invested in upgrading the clinic and the surrounding area this year.
“The upgrades were aimed at giving comfort to patients, family members, and frontline staff who work long hours at the clinic,” he said.
Sim added that RM2 million in parliamentary funds under the “Projek Mesra Rakyat” programme was used strictly for community needs, including schools.
He said SK Sri Permai received RM90,000 while SMK Tun Uda received funding for new fans, science lab upgrades and smartboards worth about RM100,000.
Sim mentioned that future developments such as the upcoming LRT line, which will have a station nearby, would bring even more visitors to the clinic, making these upgrades essential.
As the deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health, he said he was also pushing for national healthcare reforms, including efforts to control rising private hospital costs and insurance premiums.
Sim warned that if private healthcare became too expensive, more patients would turn to government facilities and add pressure on public clinics and hospitals.
He said taxpayers continued to bear significant healthcare costs, and reforms were needed to ensure both public and private systems remained sustainable.
Sim stressed that every ringgit of government allocation must reach the people, with no wastage or leakage, adding that he would continue improving facilities across the Bayan Baru parliamentary area to ensure no resident was left behind.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud