Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has reintroduced the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP) at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) to ease congestion and reduce waiting times for patients requiring magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, HKL stated that the HSOP reduced patient waiting times by 33 per cent in 2025, from 24 weeks to 16 weeks. The hospital optimised 96.8 per cent of its allocated slots, using 365 out of 377. For this year, HKL has applied for 640 slots, a 70 per cent increase, to shorten patient waiting times even more.

The programme was officially relaunched on Wednesday after the approval of new funding on March 19. HKL's Radiology Department operates two MRI machines in the Main Block, with capacity for 24 to 28 cases a day, depending on case complexity and patient condition. Daily scans have sometimes reached 36 to prioritise emergency and critical cases that need urgent attention.

HKL and the MOH remain committed to providing efficient healthcare services that meet the highest standards of care. Previously, a portal reported that HKL's limited MRI services had forced the hospital to refer patients to private facilities for scans.