KUCHING: The Sarawak government is aiming to enhance its collaboration with the medical professions or experts as a proactive measure in anticipation of future and unfamiliar diseases.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg revealed today the state was very keen to work together with Johns Hopkins University of United States to produce medicines.
“The COVID-19 is something we did not expect and in layman’s terms, we are breathing ‘populated oxygen’ which affects one immunity system.
“Actually, I have asked Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian to collaborate with Johns Hopkins in the United States so that there will be an interchange of data.
“Sarawak is rich in biodiversity and there could be some medicines in our plants that can heal these new diseases,” he said.
Abang Johari said this when officiating at the opening ceremony of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia’s (AMM) Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists (MSA) & College of Anaesthesiologists (CoA) Annual Scientific Congress 2023 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here.
He went on to say the Sarawak government had set aside RM200 million to establish the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) in Kota Samarahan.
“This is what Sarawak is doing, and Dr Sim and I have talked to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to set up our cancer centre in Sarawak and manage it together with the Ministry of Health (MOH).
“I told them I will set aside some funds to set up the Sarawak Cancer Centre, costing more than RM1 billion. To me, it is a worthy investment for us to take care of our ageing society,” he said.
Abang Johari added the state government was giving scholarships to 40 students yearly for them to pursue medicine in local universities as well as sending post graduates studying overseas to create a pool of medical specialists.
“Having said that, we hope Sarawakians and Malaysians are healthy so that we can live happily together,” he said.
