Premier: Proposed construction of new private hospitals in Kuching to enhance Sarawak’s healthcare capacity

KUCHING (July 10): The proposed construction of two new private hospitals in Kuching city will enhance Sarawak’s healthcare capacity in five years’ time, said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

According to him, the two new hospitals will be located in Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang, each with a capacity of 300 beds, adding a total of 600 beds to the private healthcare sector.

“As part of the Sarawak government’s investment in healthcare, the state-owned Normah Medical Specialist Centre (NMSC) will also expand its bed capacity by 300 beds.

“This expansion, coupled with the two new hospitals, will bring Sarawak’s total additional private hospital beds to over 1,000 within the next five years,” he told reporters after officiating the official opening and gala dinner for the 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Public Health (APCPH) held at a local hotel here last night.

Abang Johari further revealed that the new hospitals in Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang will be managed by foreign groups, including a Singaporean company for the Tabuan Jaya facility. Both hospitals will also have facilities to treat cancer.

Regarding the upgrades to NMSC, he said that there will be a hotel and commercial area meant for patients not only from Sarawak but from other places outside of Sarawak who seek treatment at the centre.

“These developments will not only benefit local patients but also attract patients from Kalimantan, Indonesia, and other parts of Borneo, particularly with the anticipated establishment of Sarawak’s own airline.

“Because of that, I think our friends from Singapore made a strategic move to set up their hospital here because the cost of living here is slightly cheaper than in Singapore,” he said.

“That will be part of our programme not only for Malaysia, for Sarawak, but also for Asia-Pacific for that matter, and we provide the facilities for them.

“I also hope the standard of healthcare services by our doctors is up to standard,” he added.

Also present at the event last night were Sarawak Health Department director Dr Veronica Lugah, Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, 8th APCPH organising chairman Dr Mohd Azahadi Omar, College of Public Health Medicine Council vice president-cum-8th APCPH organising vice chairman Dr Tahir Aris, and Business Event Sarawak (BESarawak) chief executive officer Amelia Roziman.