By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 28: The soon-to-be-built Sarawak Cancer Centre will be purposefully designed to accommodate future advancements in technology, computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to meet evolving needs.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said he will make sure that the design and construction of the facility not only fulfills present requirements, but stands as a forward-thinking edifice capable of adapting to future transformations.
“To achieve this, we will need to engage architects and engineers with expertise and experience in designing this state-of-art facility while keeping future prospects in clear focus,” he told reporters after officiating a seminar on how to avoid scams organised by Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) at their headquarters today.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, drew inspiration from a visit to Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, which he observed had expanded significantly compared to his previous visit in 2005.
The facility, he said, is very much similar to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) but the big difference in their expansion was that they would knock down its structure to rebuild, unlike Sarawak’s approach of renovating and extending.
“Now that Sarawak will establish a Cancer Centre, it is my duty to ensure this facility is not only cutting-edge for current needs but also future-proof for technological advancements and so on,” he emphasised.
The development of the Sarawak Cancer Centre has been allocated in Budget 2024, and Dr Sim is eager to swiftly finalise the necessary procedures to expedite the project’s commencement.
Initially proposed by Dr Sim in 2016, the Centre is planned to be situated in the vicinity of the Sarawak Heart Centre (SHC) in Kota Samarahan.
The centre aims to be a regional hub for cancer treatment that would not only improve healthcare accessibility and affordability for Sarawakians but also catering for patients from neighbouring countries such as Brunei and Indonesia.
Additionally, it can also be a centre to advance research and education in the field. — DayakDaily
