Deputy Premier: Sarawak to expand cardiac services with new cath labs in Sibu, Miri

SIBU (April 10): The tender process for constructing cardiac catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) here and in Miri is now underway as Sarawak strengthens its cardiac treatment services, said Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The State Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government said the development complements Sarawak’s achievement as a pioneer in Malaysia in the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), made possible through the installation of an advanced MRI machine at Sibu Hospital.

The machine, brought in by the Sarawak Heart Foundation together with donors after several years of planning, is among the most advanced in the country and capable of delivering high-precision heart imaging.

Although Malaysia has more than 100 MRI machines, only a few are able to perform cardiac MRI to assess blood flow to the heart, detect blockages and determine whether heart muscle remains viable or has been damaged.

“If the heart muscle is already dead, treatments such as bypass, ballooning or stenting will no longer be effective,” he said when met after officiating the commissioning of the machine at the hospital on Friday.

Also present was Deputy Minister of Health Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib.

Dr Sim added that the nearly helium-free machine can also be used to image other organs, including the brain, although cardiac imaging remains the most complex application.

The machine, costing about RM9 million, was funded through more than RM2 million in public donations and RM1.7 million from the Ministry of Health.

Installation also involved RM3.2 million in renovation works and RM1.4 million for technical support.

He noted that Sarawak cardiologist and State Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee was the first Malaysian to receive cardiac MRI training in Germany, at a time when no such training centres existed in Southeast Asia.

Dr Sim said the upcoming cath labs in Sibu and Miri will enable faster treatment for heart attack patients without requiring transfers to Kuching.

He added that treatment costs in government hospitals remain significantly lower, with an angiogram costing around RM50 and angioplasty about RM500, compared with tens of thousands of ringgit in the private sector.

He said the Sarawak Heart Foundation will continue to act as a bridge connecting donors and the government in developing cardiology services in the state.