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Dr Sim (front row, seventh left) and his wife Datin Amar Enn Ong Siok Ean (front row, sixth left) in a group photo during their visit to the KLS Hospice and Palliative Care Centre. – Photo via Facebook/Dr Sim Kui Hian
KUCHING (April 5): The Palliative Care Unit of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) has been relocated to the Hospice and Palliative Care Centre (HPCC), marking a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Malaysia between the government and a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the move represents a significant milestone, with SGH operating under the Ministry of Health (MOH), while the RM19 million HPCC facility is managed by the Kuching Lifecare Society (KLS).
He noted that when the SGH palliative care service was first launched in 2016 as part of the hospital’s cancer ward, few could have anticipated the level of progress achieved today.
“This milestone proves how far it has come and reflects a small but meaningful step in meeting Sarawak’s growing healthcare needs,” he said in a Facebook post.
Dr Sim pointed out that by 2030, Sarawak is projected to have the highest demand for palliative care in Malaysia, with an estimated 35,000 patients requiring such services, although many are expected to opt for home-based care.
The relocation involved the complete transfer of the eight-bed SGH palliative ward, including patients, medical personnel, equipment and support services to the purpose-built HPCC facility in Desa Wira, Batu Kawa here.
He said the new centre provides a more serene and specialised environment, designed to ensure comfort and dignity for patients in their final stages of life.
“The eight-bed SGH Palliative Care Service will be progressively expanded to 35 beds.
“We pray that MOH will step up to approve more nurses, as the current number for eight beds will not only overstretch but burn out our nurses to look after the 35 beds,” he said.
He thanked Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and the ministry for the “out-of-the-box” model initiative, which allows MOH services to operate within an NGO-run facility, the first of its kind in the country.
Dr Sim likened the arrangement to the Sarawak Heart Centre, which was built by the Sarawak government but is operated by MOH, noting that the HPCC collaboration represents a shift from a government-to-government model to an NGO-to-government partnership.
“This public-private partnership reflects the strong ‘kampung’ community spirit of Sarawakians, where everyone plays their part,” he added.
He also commended KLS president Hung Sung Huo for his perseverance in bringing the project to fruition, from securing a four-acre site in 2011 to completing construction in 2024 despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and rising costs.
Dr Sim highlighted that palliative care services in Sarawak have grown from small NGO-led efforts into broader regional and international collaborations, including with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN).
These efforts, he said, have contributed to training 44 healthcare professionals across Sarawak in 2024, while community-based programmes between 2022 and 2025 have supported more than 1,000 patients through home domiciliary care.
He added that various NGOs, including the National Cancer Society Sarawak Branch, Two Tree Lodge Hospice, KLS, and palliative care associations in Sibu and Miri, have played a crucial role in complementing government services.
Looking ahead, Dr Sim said Sarawak’s next major milestone will be the development of a RM1.5 billion Sarawak Cancer Centre, expected by 2030, which will include acute inpatient palliative care beds.
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