Dr Sim (sixth right) and Khairy (fourth left) are seen with SHC staff during the visit yesterday. – Photo from Facebook/Dr Sim Kui Hian
KOTA SAMARAHAN (Sept 7): Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian has envisioned Malaysia’s first health metropolis corridor in Samarahan.
According to him, the corridor will be a 5km area complete with medical and research hub for services and universities providing the manpower.
“It will also have an industrial free trade zone for manufacturing, airport and port connected with ART (Autonomous Rapid Transit) for mobility,” he said in a Facebook post last night.
Dr Sim said he had shown Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin the site in Samarahan for the proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre.
“Located together with the Sarawak Heart Centre (SHC), Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre, and nearby Unimas Hospital, it will be an important medical hub for Sarawak for the next 50 years,” he said.
Yesterday, Dr Sim also brought Khairy and Health deputy director general (research and technical support) Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan on an unscheduled tour of the SHC.
“Unique state-of-the-art public heart centre (against all odds) operated by Ministry of Health Malaysia with RM1 rental from Sarawak government. Not only benefitted thousands of Sarawakians but saving many Sarawakian lives.
“(I am) #proud of SHC as a centre of excellence not only in Malaysia but the region. Great #teamwork,” he said.
Dr Sim added the next step would be progressively establishing satellite heart centres in Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu.
On Twitter, Khairy commented that the SHC is a world-class facility providing cardiology services to the entire state.
He agreed with Dr Sim that satellite centres are necessary in other areas such as Miri and Sibu to improve access.