Dedicated cancer centre for Sarawak

Minister: Proposal meant to ensure local cancer patients need not travel to Peninsular Malaysia for treatment

KUCHING: The state government has called for a dedicated cancer centre to be established here.

Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the centre is vital to ensure that cancer patients need not travel to Peninsular Malaysia for treatment.

He explained that at present, Sarawak only has a cancer department.

“We need a dedicated cancer centre and not just a department. So I proposed in Parliament to have a new cancer centre in Sarawak. I told them why we want a cancer centre.

“Cancer disease is the No 2 killer in Malaysia and Sarawak. The government should take our geographical needs into consideration and not just base (the consideration) on population needs,” he told a press conference af ter opening the Annual Scientific Congress of Malaysian Oncological Society (Ascomos) 2017 yesterday.

Dr Sim said he had proposed the cancer centre be established near

Cancer is the No 2 killer in Malaysia and Sarawak. The government should take our geographical needs into consideration and not just base on population needs. Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Local Government and Housing

the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan.

“In Peninsular Malaysia, they can easily drive to Putrajaya cancer centre but in Sarawak, we cannot just drive there, we have to fly,” he added.

According to Dr Sim, with five oncologists, Sarawak has the necessary personnel and only requires for the federal government to set up the basic facilities to have the centre operational.

“The human resources part, we have. They can just provide the facilities for us. It is not like we don’t have the human resources and later they build the facilities for us, saying that it’s a white elephant project,” he added. Turn to page 4, Col 4