KUCHING: HMI Medical aims to build a fully local workforce for its upcoming Regency Specialist Hospital Kuching and draw Sarawakian healthcare professionals elsewhere back to the state.
HMI Malaysia chief executive officer Stanley Lam said the group would prioritise Sarawakians for positions at the hospital, although expertise from outside the state may initially be required for certain specialised roles.
“If possible, we want 100 per cent local because when you are from the place, you always want to contribute back to where you were born,” he said during an interview at Sheraton Kuching here on Tuesday (Aug 11).
Lam said HMI had encountered many Sarawakian doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals working in Peninsular Malaysia and overseas who were interested in returning.
The group has engaged TalentCorp and the Malaysian Medical Council to explore ways of facilitating their return, including addressing regulatory constraints.
Some Sarawakians currently serving at HMI’s hospitals in Melaka and Johor have also expressed interest in joining the Kuching hospital once it begins operations.
“We see this as a win-win situation because they can bring home the knowledge and experience they have gained elsewhere while having a stronger sense of belonging in their hometown,” he said.
HMI has also launched its RM50 million Healthcare Workforce 2030 fund, marking a five-year commitment to developing a talent pipeline for the new hospital.
The initiative has begun here through a letter of intent with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and memoranda of understanding with the University of Cyberjaya, I-Systems College Kuching and SEGi College Sarawak.
Lam said the collaborations would include sponsorship opportunities for nursing students and programmes to prepare local talent for increasingly specialised healthcare roles.
He added that healthcare offered a wide range of skilled career pathways, including specialisations in wound and diabetic care nursing, radiology and other advanced clinical services.
HMI Medical executive director and group chief executive officer Chin Wei Jia said the group had consistently invested in professional development, skills upgrading and wider exposure for its healthcare workforce.
She said such development extended beyond clinical specialties to emerging areas such as healthcare informatics, digitalisation and data.
“People are at the heart of healthcare, and when Sarawakians return, they bring home the knowledge and experience they have gained elsewhere, which is something truly meaningful,” she said.
