KUCHING, April 26: Work on the proposed Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) multi-level car park and upgrades is progressing well, despite a minor setback.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii assured that the project developer and concessionaire, Asaljuru Weida Sdn Bhd, was doing its best together with its contractors to ensure work on the project be done on a timely manner.
“Based on a public tip-off of possible slow progress, I paid an unannounced impromptu check again on the ongoing construction of the SGH multi-level car park and upgrades.
“There were complaints that the construction workers had stopped work for a period of time, which may cause possible delays in the project. This will affect the convenience of not just staff of the hospital but also the public, in general,” Dr Yii said in a statement today.
He said he was briefed on the progress by representatives from Asaljuru Weida Sdn Bhd earlier today.
“Previously, I confirmed that a concrete slab in the new hospital was reported to have failed in meeting technical specifications due to the use of substandard concrete. This has since been demolished and rectified accordingly.
“Currently, a new contractor with a strong track record of building hospitals has been brought in to help accelerate the construction; hence leading to the reported temporary stop of work.
“Due to this transition, works at the site did come to a halt for about a week, but the new contractors have already restarted the construction work,” Dr Yii explained.
He said the contractors had also given the assurance that they were doing all they could and were willing the incur the additional cost of acceleration, including the cost of additional workers and equipment to be mobilised to the project so as to accelerate their progress.
He said he had personally been to the site several times to closely monitor the progress of the multi-level carpark and hospital upgrades as this was of great public interest.
“Even with any kind of setback or possible delays in the construction of any block, the developer, Asaljuru Weida Sdn Bhd, has taken the responsibility and given the assurance that quality and safety of these upgrades are of paramount importance.
“I commend the developer for their action and transparency in ensuring that their contractors perform to the required standard,” said Dr Yii, adding that he would continue to monitor the project closely.
He said he believed that this was what Asaljuru Weida Sdn Bhd desired, too, as they would have to manage these upgrades upon their completion as well as safeguarding their reputation. — DayakDaily
