Water poured through leaking ceilings at several blocks of Hospital Seberang Jaya on Friday night, after unusually heavy rain and strong winds swept the public hospital in Seberang Perai, Penang, BusinessToday reported.
The Penang Health Department is the state office of the federal Health Ministry, which runs Malaysia’s public hospitals. Its director, Dr Zulhizzam Abdullah, said most of the affected areas were in the hospital’s older buildings, although some newer blocks were also hit.
He called the episode unforeseen, caused by unusually heavy and prolonged rain, gale-force winds and a large volume of runoff. Rainwater overflowed and spread into several parts of the facility. Water in corridors and wards raises the risk of slips and can damage electrical fittings and medical equipment.
“However, no patients were affected, and no adverse incidents were reported,” he said, in comments carried by Malay Mail.
Video clips that spread on social media showed healthcare workers holding umbrellas inside the building as water streamed through ceiling tiles and pooled along a corridor. The footage was carried by BuletinTV3.
The episode comes less than three weeks after part of the ceiling at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang collapsed following a pipe leak, Daily8 noted. The Selangor health department said a preliminary investigation found the leaking pipe had weakened the ceiling structure. Nobody was hurt there, and the affected walkway reopened after repairs.
The hospital’s Engineering Management and Maintenance Department has moved to deal with the leaks and to manage the situation, Dr Zulhizzam said.
The rain fell during Malaysia’s north-east monsoon season, which is expected to run until March next year. The monsoon, which usually begins around November, is when the northern states of the peninsula record their heaviest rainfall.
Hospital Seberang Jaya is one of the main public hospitals serving Seberang Perai, the mainland half of Penang. The district is linked to the island by two bridges and holds a large share of the state’s population.
It was not immediately clear how many blocks were affected, what repair works are planned, or when they would be completed. Neither the hospital nor the state health department said whether any services had been moved or postponed.
