COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh: A field hospital being set up by the Malaysian government near the Kutupalong and Balukhali refugee camps here will provide specialist care for Rohingyas when it begins full operations on Dec 1.
Construction of the 50-bed medical facility located in Ukhiya is expected to be completed just three days prior on Monday, Nov 27, to treat the ill among the more than 600,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state here.
During a visit to the hospital site on Saturday, 13 members of the Malaysian Parliament were briefed that the facility will serve as a referral hospital for serious illnesses and medical cases.
Defence Ministry epidemiology clinical specialist Colonel Dr Mohd Arshil Moideen, who is the acting chief technical advisor for the project, said that the Malaysian hospital will be manned by 50 Health Ministry staff members comprising specialists, medical officers, as well as psychiatrists and support staff.
"This hospital will be the most complete facility (at the refugee camps), with services provided at par with a district specialist hospital, once it is up and running. It will (also) receive patients who are referred here by district hospitals around the area.
"The hospital will be able to provide specialist care including surgery and treatment for infectious diseases," he said during the briefing.
Dr Arshil said that they expect to receive a high number of cases, especially for gastroenteritis ulcers and maternity cases, among others, due to the refugees' unsanitary living conditions and the fact that many of the female refugees are victims of rape.
He said that the hospital will also offer psychiatric treatment for rape victims; while a team of public health officials will be on hand to assist in hygiene and vector control.
Speaking on the progress of works to set up the hospital, Dr Arshil said that they began erecting the structure only on Saturday morning due to a glitch in logistics, but have so far completed 30 per cent of the hospital.
Dr Arshil was briefing 13 Malaysian MPs, led by Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, who spent about 30 minutes overseeing the construction work.
As of 8am Sunday, the New Straits Times has learnt that progress on the hospital’s construction has reached 70 per cent, with the 100m x 70m tent now fully erected.
Earlier, the elected representatives from Barisan Nasional, Pas and PKR visited the Balukhali refugee camp, which currently houses 621,000 Rohingyas. They spent about three hours observing the refugees’ living conditions and delivered aid of basic necessities and blankets to 300 families.
In his speech when launching a Malaysia-sponsored madrasah at the camp, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Aziz Kaprawi, who is Sri Gading MP (BN), told the refugees that Malaysians will always be there for them.
He said the Malaysian government carries the aspiration of its citizens who want the Rohingyas' rights to be defended.
"Our Prime Minister took the issue of the Rohingyas up to the US President. We will be with you until the end," he said.
The MPs, together with delegates from the NSC, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Transport Ministry and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are on a two-day visit to Cox's Bazar for a first-hand look at Rohingya refugee camps, which are the largest in the world.
Other MPs in the group are Datuk Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid (BN-Kota Tinggi), Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN-Bagan Serai), Datuk Ago Anak Dagang (BN-Kanowit), Datuk Raimi Unggi (BN-Tenom), Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan), Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Pas-Rantau Panjang), Datuk Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (Pas-Pasir Puteh) and Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (PKR-Tumpat).