SIBU: University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) has completed a six-month feasibility study on the establishment of UTS’ undergraduate medical programme.
Chairman of UTS Board of Directors, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, today received the 173-page report from UTS UNIMAS Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Prof. Dr Lela Suut.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Annuar said he would present the report to the state Ministry of Education and Innovation for endorsement and approval.
He added that if the medical programme comes into fruition, UTS would be the first of the five universities in Sarawak to have such a programme.
“The report is very comprehensive, and the key question now is how we should move forward. There is no doubt that Sarawak needs a medical school.
“We have long been highlighting the shortage of doctors in the state. Based on the latest figures, we are short of about 2,000 doctors, and we also face a significant shortage of specialists,” he shared.
Elaborating further on medical specialist shortage, he said the state is still having not enough cardiologists working here.
“We are producing qualified specialists, but many are not serving in Sarawak, and that is a major concern,” he said.
Touching on the report, he said the ministry has studied the report and agrees that it should proceed.
The proposal in the report, which was done by six panellists, will then be presented to the Sarawak Government. Only after that will they know whether the state government approves the establishment of the medical faculty or not.
“Let us hope and pray that both the ministry and the state government will support this initiative. UTS have been entrusted with carrying out this important task.
“If the government eventually approves the establishment of the medical school, UTS will become the first local university in Sarawak to have its own medical school,” he said.
He said four foreign universities, namely Dundee University UK, UCL London Medical School, National University of Singapore, and University of Cambridge, have responded to consider collaborating in this programme.
UTS Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr Mohd Shahril Osman, said as a university fully owned by the Sarawak State Government, UTS is deeply rooted in serving the community and driving development.
“We aim to address the demand for undergraduate medical education and healthcare professional right here in Sarawak.
“However, a vision of this magnitude cannot be built on ambition alone. It requires rigorous analysis, and strategic foresight.
“The report we receive today provides us with the comprehensive insights needed to evaluate our academic, infrastructural, financial and regulatory readiness.
“It deeply explores our institutional capacity, benchmarking our proposed curriculum against world-class standards, evaluating the establishment of state-of-the-art medical laboratories, anatomy facilities, and simulation centres, and mapping,” he said.
