Negeri Sembilan Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis has assured that Tuanku Jaafar Hospital (HTJ) is safe for use despite being the oldest hospital in the state.

He said the hospital that was built in 1969, on a 26-ha site at Jalan Rasah near here, currently had 1,070 beds and is in the process of acquiring the Fire Certificate (FC).

"We will try to expedite the process (securing FC) this year as we have conducted inspections. This is not due to the incident at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor.

"Previously, we had close ties with hospitals in the state. Not all hospitals required FCs. In the state, only two hospitals needed the certification, namely, Jempol Hospital, which has already secured it and HTJ," he told reporters after attending the state's annual parade, here Thursday.

Norazam was commenting on the safety level of hospitals in Negeri Sembilan, in the effort to curb fire outbreaks such as the one which occurred at HSA on Oct 25 last year, resulting in the death of six patients.
- BERNAMA