PENANG has a sufficient number of hospital beds to meet the healthcare needs of its people, in line with the guidelines and standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said that when the bed capacities of both public and private hospitals are combined, Penang is well-positioned to provide adequate healthcare services for its population.
“In terms of hospital bed capacity in Penang, I am pleased to say that if we combine the number of beds from both public and private hospitals, we have sufficient capacity that meets the WHO guidelines and requirements to serve the people of Penang.
“At present, private hospitals in Penang provide 2,853 beds, while public hospitals have a total of 2,130 beds,” he said.
However, Gooi stressed that the key challenge now lies not in the number of beds available, but in ensuring affordability and accessibility of healthcare services, particularly for lower-income and vulnerable communities.
“The issue now is how we address affordability and accessibility, especially for the needy community, so that they too can benefit from the facilities and services offered by our private healthcare sector.
“As a matter of fact, several policies, including the Health White Paper (HWP) tabled in Parliament, contain recommendations that are already being implemented to support these communities,” he added.
Gooi was speaking at a press conference after officiating the opening ceremony of the Allied Health Seminar 2026 held at LohGuanLye Specialists Centre in Macalister Road today.
Also present were LohGuanLye Specialists Centre chief operating officer Tan Li Hwa and LohGuanLye Specialists Centre Audiology Service head Datuk Dr Lim Seh Guan.
Commenting on the seminar, Gooi said he was informed that the event attracted more than 80 participants from various healthcare and education disciplines.
“This strong multidisciplinary participation reflects the growing importance of collaboration in advancing better patient care and healthcare outcomes.
“More importantly, the seminar brings together participants from across the healthcare ecosystem, including public hospitals, private hospitals, private rehabilitation centres and universities.
“Such multi-sector engagement is exactly what we need as we move towards a more integrated and patient-centred healthcare system,” he said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi