KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 – The government is seeking feedback from stakeholders to improve maintenance services and meet non-clinical support needs for hospitals and institutions under the Ministry of Health (MOH), as its hospital support services (PSH) concession period enters its final two years.
The PSH concession, which commenced on April 1, 2015, and spans a period of 10 years, covers maintenance services for all 148 MOH hospitals and institutions, including district hospitals, and is overseen by five concession companies.
The scope of PSH services includes facility engineering maintenance services (FEMS), biomedical engineering maintenance services (BEMS), cleansing services (CLS), health care waste management services (HWMS), linen and laundry services (LLS), and facilities management services (FMS), said Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa in a written Dewan Negara reply last Thursday to Senator Dr Ahmad Azam Hamzah.
Dr Azam, a veterinarian, asked about the measures taken by the MOH to improve the quality of its services as most district hospitals are plagued with irregular maintenance issues.
“Considering that there are two remaining years in the PSH concession period, which will expire on March 31, 2025, the government is currently studying and obtaining technical and non-technical input from stakeholders to implement improvements in maintenance works for the upcoming concession period, as well as to meet all non-clinical support requirements for hospitals and institutions under the MOH,” said Dr Zaliha.
Dr Zaliha said the government has put in place standards and guidelines in the PSH concession agreement to ensure that maintenance work is of high quality, which the five concession companies are required to follow.
Any violation of these standards will result in a reduction of service fees and penalties, impacting the overall performance of the companies. However, there is no information provided on whether any of the companies have faced penalties.
The five companies are Radicare (M) Sdn Bhd, which covers Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Pahang, Kelantan, and Terengganu; Medivest Sdn Bhd (Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor); Edgenta Mediserve Sdn Bhd (Perak, Pulau Pinang, Kedah, and Perlis); One Medicare Sdn Bhd (Sarawak); and Sedafiat Sdn Bhd (Sabah).
