Latest news with #MBP


Morocco World
16-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Launches First 1,000 MW Offshore Wind Project Near Essaouira
Doha – Morocco has officially announced its first offshore wind farm project with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts to be built near Essaouira. The initiative was unveiled on June 10, in Nice during the Mediterranean Day of the United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC3). The project is among the first investments funded by the Mediterranean Blue Partnership (MBP), a multi-donor fund established to support sustainable blue economy in the southern Mediterranean and Red Sea. The wind farm is scheduled to begin construction by 2029 and will be Morocco's first offshore wind energy development. 'This project is part of a dynamic that combines energy independence, industrial attractiveness and economic competitiveness,' said Leila Benali, Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition. The initiative aligns with the country's national strategy to secure more than 52% of its electricity mix from renewable sources by 2030. The Essaouira coast was specifically chosen for its strong and consistent marine winds, with average speeds reaching 11 meters per second. These conditions make the area particularly suitable for offshore wind development and ensure favorable technical profitability for electricity generation. The MBP, which is financing the project's feasibility studies and technical assistance, has now reached €22 million in available funds. Spain recently signed an €8.5 million commitment to the partnership, joining Sweden, Germany, France, and the European Union as contributors. Beyond Morocco's wind project, two other initiatives have been selected for this first phase of MBP funding. In Jordan, a project will restore the Ayla oasis in the Gulf of Aqaba, regenerating a coral ecosystem and implementing a thermal storage system (TES). The coral coverage is expected to increase by 240%, while the TES system will save more than 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually. In Egypt, a wastewater treatment plant in East Alexandria, scheduled to be operational by 2028, will process 300,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily. This facility will benefit 1.5 million people and directly reduce marine pollution. The announcement comes as the global offshore wind sector is experiencing rapid expansion. According to Rystad Energy, worldwide offshore wind capacity is projected to increase by 19 gigawatts in 2025. Morocco is now joining this growing global market, potentially encouraging other Mediterranean countries to pursue similar initiatives. Since the first ministerial declaration on sustainable blue economy in 2015, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has mobilized over €500 million for more than 250 regional projects. These initiatives span maritime clusters, decarbonization, marine biodiversity, blue jobs, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, pollution prevention, and circular economy development. The Essaouira offshore wind project represents an important step in Morocco's energy transition journey. Previously focused primarily on solar energy and onshore wind development, the country is now venturing into offshore wind technology, strengthening its position as a regional leader in renewable energy. Read also: Morocco, UAE Sign $14 Billion Megadeal: Key Details on the Largest Private Investment in Morocco's History Tags: essaouirarenewable energy

The Star
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Lifeline for patients with heart defects
The Miracle Baby Programme (MBP) gives babies and young children with congenital heart diseases life-saving surgery at no cost. Government surgeons and those from Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in India, renowned in the field of congenital heart surgery, perform the surgeries on a pro bono basis. Health Ministry bore the cost of in-patient admission and post-surgery care. 'The surgery lasts six to 10 hours, followed by intensive post-operative care for four to five days,' said Health Ministry chief of cardiothoracic surgical services Datuk Dr Basheer Ahamed Abdul Kareem. 'Most surgeries in the private sector can cost between RM75,000 and RM150,000.' He added that it was to Penang Hospital's credit that the surgeons from India chose it to conduct MBP. A smaller team from India will visit every six months from here on, and four Malaysian surgeons would go to India to train with them, said Dr Basheer. One of the beneficiaries is four-year-old Noor Izz Medhina Muhamad Samsuri who went through the procedure. Her mother, Noor Izzatie Mohamed Yusoff, said: 'I am grateful that she underwent surgery free of charge under MBP.' Noor Izz's first procedure was in December 2022 when she was just a year old, followed by a second procedure last July. Another patient in the MBP was Eisya Marzuki. Siti Norazidah Mohd Hamzah said her daughter, who's now 19, underwent the surgery at 16. She said that Eisya had symptoms like rapid breathing and shortness of breath, prior to the surgery. 'The opportunity to undergo the surgery was a blessing. 'Now, she is waiting to further her studies,' said Siti Norazidah. Eleven-year-old Iris Sim had a congenital heart defect at birth and lived with it for nearly a decade before MBP gave her the chance to go for surgery. Her mother May Yap, a water filter technician, could not hold back her tears when recounting how she learned about MBP from hospital staff. She said the surgery was done at Penang Hospital a week or two after Iris was accepted into the programme. Now, more children will benefit following the launch of MBP 2.0 by Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim at Penang Hospital. Also present were Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Education Foundation board of trustees chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum and UTAR chancellor Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik. Lukanisman, in his speech, said MBP was founded by Dr Ling in collaboration with Penang Hospital and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital. 'This extraordinary cross-border collaboration is a symbol of what can be achieved through compassion and excellence in healthcare,' he said. The first edition of MBP in 2022 successfully treated 18 babies and children. Under MBP 2.0, a total of 23 children underwent heart surgery.


The Star
24-04-2025
- Health
- The Star
Country has sufficient specialist doctors for now, says Deputy Health Minister
GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry does not rule out the possibility of hiring specialist doctors from abroad, but the country has sufficient expertise and resources, thanks to a strong synergy between the public and private healthcare sectors, says Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni. The Deputy Health Minister said the ministry is currently refining a set of future-ready healthcare policies aimed at strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance service delivery. "We can provide comprehensive healthcare services, provided that resource availability is ensured and public-private synergy is maximised. 'This integrated approach is seen as the most effective method to deliver essential medical services," he said during a press conference after attending the official launching ceremony of the Miracle Baby Programme (MBP) 2.0 at Penang Hospital on Thursday (April 24). Lukanisman said that in an effort to tackle the shortage of specialist doctors, the federal government is undertaking a structural reform of positions within the health ministry and has approved 800 permanent positions for medical specialists annually since 2023. He said that with the restructuring and through various initiatives, including the implementation of the alternative specialist training route or parallel pathway, he is confident that more specialists can be trained locally. He also believed that the current staffing structure and specialist training system are capable of addressing the shortage of medical specialists in the country. He said he believed that with the strengthening of collaboration between the public and private sectors, plus the initiative in staffing structure, the ministry can produce more specialists in the future. Lukanisman, commenting on the issue of specialist shortages in government hospitals and clinics, said the problem is also contributed by the declining number of registered doctors and medical trainees each year, in addition to the trend of trainees leaving the profession. According to him, a total of 692 specialists are currently undergoing training through the parallel pathway, while 6,211 medical officers are in various stages of specialist training. At the same time, the country offers 1,650 specialist training slots annually. He added that the amendment to Act 50 has opened the door to greater recognition of alternative specialist training routes, which has been a hot topic of discussion among medical professionals. He said that the issue of specialist shortages is also linked to maldistribution, and the Health Ministry is currently reviewing the actual needs based on specific medical fields and geographic locations. "There are requests from Sabah and Sarawak to bring in specialists from Peninsular Malaysia with special incentive offers currently under consideration. "This also includes proposals to bring in specialists from abroad, an approach that has been implemented in the past and is now being further reviewed," he added. He said the private sector also plays a vital role, which can serve as a strategic partner to the ministry in addressing the country's need for medical expertise. "During the pandemic, we outsourced resources and certain specialist services to private hospitals. "That experience demonstrated the potential for collaboration between the public and private sectors in ensuring continued delivery of quality healthcare services to the people," he said.