Penang is working with the Federal Government to ease crowding at the Emergency and Trauma Department of Penang Hospital, and plans two new hospital blocks to add more beds.
Gooi Zi Sen set out the measures in the Penang State Legislative Assembly on 30 October, answering on behalf of the Chief Minister. Bukit Tengah assemblyman Gooi Hsiao-Leung had asked what policy steps the state is taking with the Federal Government on capacity shortages, citing long waiting times in the Red, Yellow and Green zones, bed shortages, healthcare manpower and primary care capacity.
Gooi Zi Sen said the state government, through the Penang State Health Department, takes the issue seriously. He described the congestion as a systemic problem in how patients move through the hospital system.
Attendance data from 2025 to July 2026 shows a small shift towards more serious cases. Red Zone (critical) patients rose from 6.79 per cent to 7.14 per cent, and Yellow Zone (semi-critical) cases from 18.92 per cent to 19.81 per cent. Green Zone (minor) cases held almost steady at 40.06 per cent from 40.13 per cent, while non-emergency (locum) cases fell to 32.99 per cent from 34.16 per cent.
Red and Yellow Zone patients together made up 26.95 per cent of cases this year, up from 25.71 per cent in 2025. Green Zone and non-emergency patients still account for 73.05 per cent of attendance, the group the state wants to redirect to clinics.
The Ministry of Health set out three steps in a circular on strengthening patient flow management dated 4 June.
The first step cuts the number of Green Zone patients at the department by strengthening primary healthcare and controlling entry points. High-capacity government health clinics will run longer hours. Referral criteria will be standardised so high-risk patients can move straight from a clinic to a hospital ward. Public-private partnerships under Skim Perubatan Madani and PeKa B40 will let low-risk cases be seen at nearby private clinics.
The second step addresses bed shortages and crowding in the Red and Yellow zones. A stronger Bed Management Unit will coordinate patient flow. An Open Bed Policy and multidisciplinary wards will allow patients to be admitted to any vacant bed, and digital dashboards will track bed capacity in real time.
The third step frees beds faster. A Discharge Lounge will serve as a transit facility, with a target of clearing beds before 12pm each day. Home-based domiciliary care will be expanded, and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT) extended, to shorten the time patients spend dependent on ward treatment.
For the longer term, the state plans a Women and Children’s Block expected to be ready in 2027, and a Specialist Clinic and Ward Block expected in 2029. Both will add patient beds. Gooi Zi Sen said the added capacity should ease congestion at the Emergency Department caused by a lack of ward beds.
He said the Ministry of Health remains committed to monitoring the initiatives closely, with the aim of delivering healthcare services to the public that are quicker and more responsive.
