logo
Sabah mulls having second National Heart Centre in KK

Sabah mulls having second National Heart Centre in KK

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is thinking of building a second National Heart Centre in the state capital to reduce reliance on treatment in the peninsula.
The proposed centre will be a key component of The Hill @ Damai, a mixed-use development adjacent to Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, which is a government entity.
The project is part of a joint development agreement (JDA) signed today between Qhazanah Sabah Bhd (QSB) and Bina Indah Development Sdn Bhd (BIDSB).
It was launched by Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, along with QSB chairman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob
"This centre is not only vital to the Sabah healthcare landscape, but it also underscores our long-term commitment to delivering world-class medical infrastructure to the people," Dr Yusof said during the launch held at the Qhazanah Event Hall, Menara Kinabalu.
He added that the high-tech facility is expected to provide more accessible specialist cardiac care for Sabahans, while reducing the state's reliance on treatment in Peninsular Malaysia.
The new centre, when completed, is expected to deliver a significant boost to the local healthcare system, offering advanced treatment options and reducing waiting times for heart patients.
Meanwhile, QSB also officially launched the Q-SME Halal Industrial Park, Sabah's first purpose-built halal-certified hub designed specifically for SMEs and startups.
Located within the HALMAS-certified zone in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, it is already 77 per cent complete as of May 2025, with full completion targeted by end of this year.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Southeast Asia pharma market set to outgrow global average
Southeast Asia pharma market set to outgrow global average

Focus Malaysia

time5 days ago

  • Focus Malaysia

Southeast Asia pharma market set to outgrow global average

SOUTHASIA Asia (SEA) presents a substantial future prospect for the pharmaceutical market. Its projected growth rate significantly outpaces the global average and other major established markets. As of calendar year 2024 (CY24), global total market size for pharmaceuticals is estimated at USD1.5 tri. In comparison, SEA's total market size is estimated at USD27 bil. The significant growth for SEA indicates that ASEAN is a prime growth engine for the global pharmaceutical industry. This makes it an attractive destination for investment and market expansion. The Philippines and Malaysia show steady growth in a biosimilar export potential, reaching USD 111 mil and USD 70 mil respectively by 2027. Malaysia's growth, though robust, is relatively smaller in absolute terms compared to Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. However, companies like Duopharma and Pharmaniaga are actively developing Halal-certified biosimilars. Overall, biosimilars is an untapped potential due to increasing healthcare demands and cost pressure. 'We believe that investing in local manufacturing of biosimilars can open avenues for SEA countries to export,' said MBSB Research. Countries that prioritise and invest in local biosimilar production are likely to become stronger exporters in this field. This aligns with the broader trends of high pharmaceutical market growth in SEA driven by demographics, NCDs, and the increasing sophistication of healthcare systems, all of which necessitate tailored and creative market strategies. Malaysia's pharmaceutical sector boasts a strong and strategically recognized local manufacturing base that significantly contributes to medicine security, especially for generics and essential medicines. While Malaysia demonstrates capabilities in exporting to highly regulated markets like the USA, it remains heavily reliant on imports for patented drugs, biologics, vaccines, and key APIs. The main challenge for Malaysia lies in bridging this gap by further boosting local R&D, attracting more sophisticated manufacturing capabilities, and strengthening its position in the global pharmaceutical value chain beyond just generics. 79% of total volume of generic medicines and 47% of items listed in National Essential Medicines List (NEML) are locally produced. However, most drugs, notably patented medicaments, immunoglobulins, human vaccines and insulins, are still dependent on imports. Malaysia consistently shows widening trade deficit underscores Malaysia's high reliance on imported pharmaceuticals. While local production is strong in generics, the country still depends heavily on foreign sources for innovative, patented, and specialised medicines. This reinforces the government's strategic focus on local manufacturing and technology transfer to enhance medicine security and reduce import dependency in the long run. The overall trend in the regional and local pharmaceutical market suggests that both domestic and foreign investors will see growing opportunities in Malaysia. The 51% FDI / 49% DDI ratio suggests a healthy balance between local commitment, and global capital and expertise. FDI indicates that Malaysia is highly attractive to foreign pharmaceutical companies, bringing in capital, technology, and global best practices, while DDI signifies robust local entrepreneurship and investment from Malaysian companies, demonstrating confidence in the domestic market and capabilities. We opine that the untapped drug manufacturing ecosystem will continue to follow the megatrend of new innovative drugs – including biologics, biosimilars and cell & gene therapy drugs – and open more opportunities for Malaysia to be a major healthcare hub in the region. While direct pharmaceutical exports from Malaysia to the US might face immediate headwinds from tariffs, the broader impact on Malaysia's healthcare subsector could come from indirect effects on global pharmaceutical supply chains and procurement costs. This would affect the affordability and availability of medicines within Malaysia for all citizens and healthcare providers. The Malaysian government and industry players are already responding by prioritizing supply chain diversification and exploring domestic production enhancements to mitigate these risks. Meanwhile, we believe a multi-pronged approach involving government action, industry adaptation, and consumer awareness will be crucial. Overall, we maintain positive on the healthcare sector. The pharmaceutical market is fundamentally driven by robust demographic trends, which naturally increases the demand for healthcare services and medicines. —July 23, 2025 Main image: Daily Sabah

Sabah doctor shortage is serious: Warisan
Sabah doctor shortage is serious: Warisan

Daily Express

time7 days ago

  • Daily Express

Sabah doctor shortage is serious: Warisan

Published on: Monday, July 21, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 21, 2025 By: Abbey Junior Text Size: 'There's a silent collapse happening in the system,' Dr Koh (left) said, referring to rising resignation rates, a growing population, and what appears to be insufficient Federal response to staffing needs. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah's healthcare system is crippled by a severe doctor shortage, ageing facilities and geographic isolation. According to Health Ministry data as of April 2025, Sabah – home to 3.742 million – has only one doctor for every 795 people, nearly double the Health Ministry's target ratio of 1:400 and more than three times below the World Health Organization's recommended ratio of 1:225. Of the 9,356 doctors Sabah needs to meet the Health Ministry's minimum ratio, only 4,708 are currently serving in the State. And of these, just 2,522 are permanent medical officers. Advertisement Dr Istefan Koh, health advisor to Parti Warisan and a former doctor, said the data pointed to a worrying trend. 'There's a silent collapse happening in the system,' he said, referring to rising resignation rates, a growing population, and what appears to be insufficient Federal response to staffing needs. He noted that only 28pc of current medical officers in Sabah are local-born, further exacerbating the state's reliance on federal deployments that are often unpredictable or delayed. The turnover rate among medical officers in Sabah was 46pc in 2024, and had already reached 10.3pc by April this year, with most leaving due to contract expiration, transfers, or burnout. Koh said such instability places a heavier burden on the doctors who remain. In one instance, he claimed that a hospital in Semporna saw six out of 21 doctors leave within a month earlier this year. 'Imagine the weight they are carrying,' he said. 'Doctors are saying they want to quit – it's getting very bad in Sabah. What else can we do but wait for reinforcements?' He added that while the population continues to grow, medical staffing has not increased proportionally. In 2023, the ratio stood at 1:680, and it has since worsened. The data also highlights infrastructure constraints. Sabah has 24 hospitals, the majority over 50 years old, many serving remote areas. Distances between facilities can exceed 550km, with some patients travelling up to six hours one way just to access basic care. Nearly half of Sabahans live in rural or island areas, with many living in poverty, making access to specialist care even more difficult. Koh also pointed to facilities like the newly built Hospital Beluran, which remains underutilised due to staffing constraints, and Tawau Hospital, which he said has enough beds but not enough personnel to provide full services. He urged federal health authorities to accelerate promised reforms and provide immediate manpower support, particularly for rural Sabah.

MyGenom project begins recruitment in Sabah
MyGenom project begins recruitment in Sabah

Daily Express

time12-07-2025

  • Daily Express

MyGenom project begins recruitment in Sabah

Published on: Saturday, July 12, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 12, 2025 Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: Recruitment for the MyGenom project has started in Sabah, with Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni and Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal launching the Sabah Zone MyGenom Research Data Collection, here, Friday. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti), in a joint statement, said the initiative, which began in Kota Kinabalu, is being implemented through collaboration between MOH healthcare facilities and public higher education institutions (IPTA). They said the collaborative move strengthens grassroots involvement and launches recruitment operations in urban and rural areas in Sabah, where the State, with its unique genetic and ethnic diversity, is given priority in this project. In this regard, the ministries urged Sabahans, particularly the Bumiputera community, who have been underrepresented in genomic research, to actively participate in the project, enabling them to benefit from advancements in precision medicine and future health policies. 'The MyGenom project is being carried out as a strategic effort to build the nation's genomic assets to strengthen the health system, through data and technology, in line with the aspirations of the Health White Paper and the Malaysia Madani framework. 'This project is being implemented under the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 (DBN 2.0), through the Perdana 4 programme, which focuses on the application of genomics technology and targeted therapies to improve public health,' they said. Under the initiative, MOH is responsible for genomic sampling and public health-related analysis, while Mosti, through the Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI) under the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM), oversees the genome sequencing process using advanced facilities. The project is currently in Phase 1, with 3,150 participants recruited from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak since August 2024, nearing the total target of 3,600 participants. 'The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) are leading this initiative, focusing on underrepresented communities, including the Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Orang Asli,' the ministries said. As of June 19, 2025, a total of 1,080 genomes have been successfully sequenced in Malaysia, with technical cooperation from MOH. This effort is supported by Mosti's investment in a high-performance sequencing system, enabling more efficient processing of hundreds of samples while ensuring that the country's genetic data sovereignty is maintained. Phase 2 will be expanded, with a target of sequencing 10,000 genomes from Malaysians of diverse ethnicities, localities, and backgrounds, a crucial step to avoid bias in understanding diseases and treatment responses. 'This genomic data will be utilised in stages for the management of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and rare diseases,' they said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store