Tawau Hospital will have sophisticated facilities once the upgrading works costing RM223 million is completed by May 2020.

A new block will be built at the hospital's former car park and many other facilities, said Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Ali Hamsa who officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the project, here yesterday.

The project will also involve the provision of an additional 154 beds to the hospital's existing 555 beds at the wards, a specialists' clinic, six operation theatres, new facilities like endoscopy suite, MRI and mammogram machines, support system between the pharmacy drive-thru, total parental nutrition unit and respiratory haemodynamic unit, and upgrading of the Emergency and Trauma Department.

This mega health project approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan will also be equipped with a patients' education unit, library, expert information, quality and research centre, and an auditorium and a seminar room which can accommodate 250 and 80 people respectively.

Ali, when met by reporters, said the upgrading project proved the fulfilment of the government's wish for Tawau residents and those in the surrounding areas to benefit from health services of better quality, with Tawau Hospital also being one of the country's cluster hospitals.

On parking facility, he said the hospital and Health Ministry had discussed on this with the Tawau Municipal Council, where there would be 440 parking bays near the hospital area for its service seekers and visitors.

"In the long-term, we will provide a multi-storey car park which will be equipped with other facilities including a restaurant" he added.

Ali also said that Tawau would enjoy continued development with a number of new as well as upgrading projects for the people's well-being, such as upgrading of the Merotai health clinic and building of quarters for civil servants in the district.

Earlier, in his speech, Ali said Malaysia needed to be innovative in tandem with the aspiration to be a developed nation by 2020 and among the top 20 in the world.

"We must be innovative and quicker than the developed countries in implementing the National Blue Ocean Strategy in the government sector which will give the best returns to the people and country" he said, adding that positive economic growth for the country was also vital to achieving that wish.

Ali said as individuals, the people should also find ways to increase their economic growth and be together with the government in eradicating poverty.

"The people need to know that when the country's revenue increases, the growth must be higher than the inflation rate" he added.

Also present were Health Ministry secretary-general, Dato Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min and director-general of the Implementation and Coordination Unit under the Prime Minister Department, Tan Sri Ahmad Zaki Ansore Mohd Yusof.