Golden Hope Plantations Bhd expects its RM17mil Puteri Nursing College (PNC) project in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, to provide recurring property income of RM1.2mil annually for the next 15 years starting from the 2004/05 financial year, said chairman Tan Sri Admad Sarji Abdul Hamid.

Golden Hope's wholly-owned subsidiary, Golden Hope Properties (Johor) Sdn Bhd (GHPJ) will design, build and lease to PNC for 15 years, a 4,400 sq metre administrative and academic centre inclusive of a five-storey student apartment block on a 5-arce site in Kota Seriemas in Nilai.

The construction of PNC would start in a month's time, undertaken by Golden Hope Builders Sdn Bhd, and would take 30 months to be completed. PNC is owned by Puteri Nursing College Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of KPJ Healthcare Bhd (KPJ).

PNC was established and commenced operations in September 1991 near KPJ's Tawakal Hospital in Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur. Subsequently, NPC moved to its current premised in Petaling Jaya in April 2000 to accommodate increasing demand to train more nurses. KPJ chairman Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim said the PNC dedicated campus in Nilai would be able to train up to 1,200 students within five to 10 years.

“This business arrangement is not just a win-win for both parties but also serves as a social responsibility,” Ahmad Sarji told a press conference after signing ceremony between GHPJ and Puteri Nursing College Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He added that with about 32,000 registered nurses in the country now, the nurse to population ratio was out 1:750.

“In developed countries, the nurse to population ratio is between 1:200 and 1:300. Therefore, as Malaysia become fully developed, the demand for adequate and trained human capital to support the service increases,” he said.

He added that measures needed to be taken to accommodate the growing demand for competent and well-trained nursing staff and services.