Sarawak Heart Centre calling for patients to share experiences to be compiled into coffee-table book

Dr Sim (seated, white shirt) in discussion with the Sarawak Heart Centre 20th Anniversary Celebration committee recently.

KUCHING, Nov 10: The Sarawak Heart Centre is calling for patients who have benefited from its treatment to come forth to share their experiences which will be compiled into a coffee-table book.

Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who was one of the founders of Sarawak Heart Centre, said he was very excited and proud of his colleagues at who have taken the initiative to start a coffee-table book to celebrate and commemorate the centre’s 20th Anniversary this year.

“Since we cannot hold a celebration due to Covid-19, we will come up with a coffee-table book as our way to celebrate it,” said Dr Sim.

He said it has been an amazing 20 years of cardiac services in Sarawak, with the centre on the frontlines.

“We did it right to be consistently on the national and international scenes which were made possible because of the many partners,” said Dr Sim in a social media post.

These partners, said Dr Sim included Sarawak Heart Foundation and its generous donors, the Ministry of Health Malaysia, pharmaceuticals and medical devices industries as well as fellow Sarawakian patients.

He invited these patients to share their experiences with the editor via 𝗽𝗷𝘀𝟮𝟬𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸@𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 to make Sarawak Heart Centre’s dream of having a coffee-table book come true.  

The Department of Cardiology of Sarawak General Hospital was set up in 2001 by Dr Sim and Dr Ong Tiong Kiam with the aim to provide specialised cardiology care for the people of Sarawak.

Besides performing its core function of service delivery, the Department also slowly carved a name in clinical research through robust participation in industry-sponsored trials.

In January 2011, due to space constraints in Sarawak General Hospital and an overwhelming need for service expansion, the centre was moved to its current premises located in Kota Samarahan. 

The new hospital was then known as Sarawak General Hospital Heart Center.

When Dr Sim resigned in 2011 to pursue another vocation, Dr Ong took over its helm.

In 2015, the institution was given administrative autonomy and became known as the Sarawak Heart Center. — DayakDaily