KUCHING: Sarawak Medical Committee (SMC) in collaboration with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) will fine-tune some final details before the Sarawak Medical Council is formed.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said significant progress are being made as accordance to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA 63) to achieve health autonomy before the SMC is being formed.
“The formation of the council will involve MMC, which will sit in a meeting together with the proposed SMC. I have told them that my ministry would like to host the meeting.
“All these are making progress and eventually, we are going to have our own SMC,” he said when speaking at Society of Private Medical Practitioners Sarawak’s (SPMPS) 50th Golden Anniversary Dinner at a leading hotel here on Friday.
Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, added that Sarawak Private Health Institute Master Plan has also been drafted to upgrade the sector, partnering with the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
He added the master plan will cover state’s healthcare and manpower, including its fundings in line with the healthcare autonomy under MA63.
“We urged stakeholders to contribute their ideas and input to enhance these initiatives, although it may take a while on this pursuit of health autonomy, but we are in the right direction.
Obviously, it won’t happen overnight, every detail of it is a significant step and it needs careful planning,” he said.
This is what we call health autonomy. It is a significant step, a roadmap that won’t happen overnight,” he added.
Earlier, Dr Sim said the medical community in Sarawak has made some major breakthroughs in the medical field.
He said the Sarawak Heart Centre was listed among the top 100 in Asia Pacific, sitting at number 48, which showed that Sarawak has good cardiologists.
“We have good cardiologists, and not only we possess professionals like them, our health facility is noted to be reasonable. That culture and values have been institutionalised and that’s what make it a great institution. I want to thank my colleagues, the cardiologists for their good work, and I hope we will continue that values, that’s how we build a nation,” he said.
Apart from that, he said the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) has made history as the first centre in Malaysia to conduct a First-in-Human (FIH) clinical trial for advanced solid cancer patients, which is a significant milestone in the country’s medical landscape.
“This achievement highlights the hospital’s role in advancing cancer research and treatment in Malaysia. SGH is not only contributing to the global body of medical research but also positioning itself as a key player in clinical oncology.
“This could lead to more cutting-edge treatments being developed in Malaysia, benefiting both local and international patients,” he said.
Also present at the event were Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, association’s president Dr Liew Shan Fap, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president, Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira and chairman of the MMA Sarawak, Dr Ong Eng-Joe.
