KUCHING, April 17: The Sarawak government has offered a loan worth RM1 billion to the federal government to build a cancer centre in the State.
Deputy Premier of Sarawak Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the matter had been followed up with federal Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin in Kuala Lumpur recently.
“The next stage is for Prime Minister Dato Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Cabinet’s approval.
“The federal government can no longer use ‘no money’ as an excuse to delay the much-needed facilities while Sarawakians are dying of cancer,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday (April 16).
Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, further said that there are about 5,000 cancer cases per year in Sarawak.
“There are about 150 existing beds, and they are inadequate as Sarawak needs around 250 to 300 beds,” he added.
On the Medan Hospital at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and Miri Hospital, Dr Sim said the concept would be similar to Sibu Hospital.
This means the Sarawak government will fully fund the construction of the hospitals, but the federal Health Ministry will fund the equipment, workforce, and operational costs.
He also updated the status of the new Sri Aman Hospital with several new haemodialysis equipment and the Batu Kawah Health Clinic expansion project worth RM500,000 for physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Also present were federal Deputy Minister of Health II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang and State Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government II Michael Tiang Ming Tee. — DayakDaily
