"We estimate that the hospital will start operating in the middle of next year. The construction of the hospital will cost a total of Rp3.5 trillion," commissioner of PT SP, Hj. Syarlinawati Akbar said here Sunday night.
She added that the hospital will be an asset the people of West Sumatra would be proud of, as it will have complete medical facilities and personnel.
Having the seven-floor hospital would hopefully reduce the number of people seeking medical treatment in other countries, she said.
In the past few years many people of West Sumatra sought medical treatment in Malaysia and Singapore, as the province still has no representative hospital.
Yarlinawati said the Semen Padang hospital is being built with the profits gained by the cement company.
In the treatment of its patients, she added, economically weak and poor patients will be given a discount of 30-40 pct in their medical bills.
The subsidy will be given as a form of care of PT Semen Padang for the people of West Sumatra.
The hospital will also provide employment to about 200 medical personnel including nurses and technical experts.
She said Semen Padang hospital is still lacking in administrative and medical personnel, and therefore needs more personnel.
In this context, she appealed to the people in the province to support the construction of the hospital.
(SYS/H-NG/S012)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
