KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the Health Ministry’s ‘one-state-one-cardiac-centre’ policy does not suit Sarawak, given its vast geography and dispersed population.
He said the model might work for smaller states in Malaya but is unrealistic for Sarawak, which is larger than 10 of them combined.
“The model is not appropriate for Sarawak. We want the same standard as in West Malaysia — every three to four hours of driving, there should be a heart centre.
“No double standard when it comes to Sarawak,” he said in a Facebook statement.
Dr Sim said the Ministry of Health (MoH) recently carried out site visits and assessments at Miri Hospital on Oct 22 and Sibu Hospital on Oct 23, ahead of tender calls for the Interventional Cardiac Catheterisation Lab (ICL) — the key facility for each Mini Satellite Heart Centre.
He said each ICL, costing between RM10 million and RM12 million, will handle about 60 to 70 per cent of the workload of a full-fledged facility such as the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan.
Once completed, Sarawak will have one full heart centre with on-site cardiac surgery in Kuching, and three mini satellite heart centres — in Bintulu (already operational), Miri, and Sibu.
“The easier part is the capital expenditure. The next challenge is manpower — not just cardiologists, but interventional specialists and trained nurses,” he lamented.
Dr Sim, who is the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister explained that each mini satellite centre would require RM3 million to RM5 million annually to operate, while the Sarawak Heart Centre costs about RM130 million a year under federal funding.
As such, he stressed that Sarawak wants the federal government to continue funding healthcare facilities in the state but also to grant health autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) so that Sarawak can manage its own facilities, manpower, and finances locally.
“We want the same level of funding, but let Sarawak manage healthcare for Sarawakians — not from Kuala Lumpur,” he added.
