By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 28: Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, has arrived in Washington, DC, the capital of the United States of America (USA), to participate in a series of high-level discussions aimed at strengthening health security and diplomatic ties between Sarawak and the United States (US).
Highlighting the importance of Sarawak’s global representation, Dr Sim expressed his gratitude to Sarawakian cardiologist Dr Alan Fong, who is representing Sarawak during meetings with key US institutions.
These discussions include engagements with the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, focusing on the Office of Infectious Diseases and Outbreak Response, and the Office of Global Health Security.
The minister also toured the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.
He visited two of the NIH’s 28 institutes, including the renowned National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which was previously headed by Dr Anthony Fauci, the US Covid-19 Tsar until his retirement in Dec 2022.
The NIH’s Clinical Trial Hospital, which boasts 200 beds and an annual budget of up to US$500 million, was another highlight of the visit.
In comparison, Dr Sim shared insights on Sarawak’s research capabilities, noting that the Clinical Research Center Sarawak General Hospital (CRC SGH) has 10 ICU beds and 24 general beds at the Sarawak Heart Centre (SHC), with an annual budget of over RM200 million.
He emphasised the importance of further collaboration between Sarawak and US institutions, particularly in the context of the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre, which remains under state government jurisdiction while awaiting negotiations on health autonomy as part of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Dr Sim further acknowledged the role of the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysia Embassy in Washington DC in facilitating his access to these high-security facilities, viewing the experience as a valuable opportunity for Sarawak’s ongoing nation-building efforts in healthcare. — DayakDaily
