By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Dec 13: A Singapore medical group is planning to set up a specialist hospital on a five-acre site at the Kuching Paragon.
Revealing this, Naim Holdings Berhad’s (Naim) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Hasmi Hasnan pointed out that the proposed hospital however will require approvals from the Ministry of Health and the Sarawak government, through State Planning Authority (SPA).
“A hospital group from Singapore, which has bought over a local hospital, want to make a bigger hospital. And one of the sightings was at Kuching Paragon. So, we have to get the approvals from Ministry of Health and Sarawak government through SPA.
“Once the approvals come, then we can build the apartment and hospital while the shopping mall will come later,” he told reporters after a close-door meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at the latter’s office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
Hasmi added that the proposed specialist hospital will be the top in Sarawak to offer health tourism to attract people from neighbouring countries, notably from Indonesia, to come over to Sarawak.
A representative from the Singapore medical group shared that the proposed hospital will have 200 beds to cater to various medical needs, particularly on cancer treatment.
The proposed specialist hospital is one of the two new specialist hospitals which will be built in Kuching as announced by the Chief Minister recently. The other specialist hospital is KPJ Hospital, located near BDC area.
Meanwhile, Hasmi informed that the purpose of the courtesy call on the Chief Minister was to formalise the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) made eight years ago between Naim and Lembaga Amanah Kebajikan Masjid Negeri Sarawak (LAKMNS) and Tabung Baitulmal.
According to him, the equity share among the three parties are Naim 70 per cent, LAKMNS (15 per cent) and Tabung Baitulmal (15 per cent).
At the function, Abang Johari also launched Naim’s 25th anniversary charity programme.— DayakDaily
