KUCHING: Planning and design work on the construction of the Sarawak Cancer Centre will only commence after financing arrangements between the state and federal governments are finalised.
Deputy Health Minister Dato Lukanisman Awang Sauni said for this purpose a committee has been set up involving the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the state government.
The process is underway, he said during a press conference after officiating at an Engagement Session with Sarawak Medical Device Industry Players 2024 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Wednesday.
He said once built the centre would become an icon of the healthcare system in Sarawak.
“The overall process may take up to five years or more from that period because the most important thing now is the financial mechanism (funding) from the state to the federal government needs to be decided upon,” he said.
“Our state government, under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari has offered a financial mechanism to the federal government.
“And our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has approved the construction of the cancer centre which was presented in the 2024 Budget.”
Lukanisman however highlighted the intricacies of the undertaking given that never before has a state government provided the whole financing package to build a facility.
“But at the federal government level, Sarawak wants it not only to be built by MoH but also operated by MoH because it is still the responsibility of the federal government to run the cancer centre later.
“It is clear that healthcare remains under the federal government even though we do have the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) committee on healthcare autonomy, we still follow what is stipulated in the constitution,” he said.
On another note he said the ministry is presently studying the feasibility of establishing two more general hospitals in Sarawak.
“These two additional general hospitals would be located in Miri and Sibu and will be recognised as hospitals with various specialties,” he said.
