KUCHING: Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg wants the construction of the proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre expedited and completed during his tenure as the Premier.
This was conveyed by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian who said the federal and state governments are still in the process of deciding the financial mechanism.
“Since the Sarawak government has expressed its commitment to materialise the project, by offering funds up to RM1 billion, it is now up to the Prime Minister to design or decide a suitable financial model,” he said.
The exact cost of the proposed centre would depend on the number of beds and type of equipment and machines, he added.
“Abang Johari is very concerned about it and he wants the construction of the centre to kick-start and be completed during his tenure as the Premier. So, I think this says a lot,” he told reporters after the launch of the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Campaign at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here today.
Sarawak, he said, has been proposing the centre for many years, and finally it was officially mentioned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Dewan Rakyat last year, assuring the federal government will support the initiative.
He said the proposed centre is much needed as cancer has been the second leading cause of mortality after heart disease in Sarawak.
“Therefore, we hope it can be materialise soon,” he added.
In January, Abang Johari proposed an innovative cost-sharing model between the state and federal governments to fund the proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre.
He said the Sarawak state government is prepared to provide a total of RM1 billion for funding the cancer centre, while the federal government provides medical specialists and equipment.
This marks a 25 per cent increase from the RM800 million that Abang Johari was proposing to spend for the construction of the centre last year.
The Premier also reportedly said that the cancer centre – which has been proposed for construction within the vicinity of the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan – could be built by year end if the federal government agrees with the state government’s proposal.
