MARA Moves Agenda for Establishment of First Hospital – Asyraf Wajdi
KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) has taken the first step towards establishing the first MARA Hospital through a special team that will drive the agenda, said its Chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
He said MARA has a complete health ecosystem to support the establishment of the hospital, including educational institutions that produce professionals in the medical and health fields.
“A special team to drive the agenda for the establishment of MARA Hospital has been initiated.
“MARA has a complete ecosystem for a hospital with 160 branches of UniKlinik, UniFarmasi, UniDental, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royak College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) producing doctors, Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (KPTM) training nurses,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Asyraf Wajdi said it is time for MARA to have its own hospital that will not only function as a teaching hospital but also as a centre of excellence in health and a catalyst for Bumiputera economic development.
He said the establishment of the hospital will complete MARA’s education ecosystem, particularly UniKL RCMP which offers medical and health fields such as nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and related programmes.
He said clinical training and experience at a teaching hospital are among the requirements in completing the education ecosystem.
MARA also, he said, has other components that can support the development of the hospital through its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, engineering and technology fields, as well as entrepreneurship networks, financing and industry development.
The biomedical science programme at UniKL Malaysian Institute of Medical Science Technology (UniKL MESTECH) and technology disciplines at other UniKL campuses can also be integrated into the MARA Hospital ecosystem.
“In fact, MARA Hospital can function as a living lab for MARA students and researchers. KKTM (MARA Advanced Skills College) students can be involved in hospital equipment and systems technology, UniKL RCMP students undergo clinical training, other UniKL campuses develop AI (artificial intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), robotics or medical devices, while MARA entrepreneurs supply products and services to the ecosystem,” he said.
He said the network of UniKLINIK, UniFarmasi and UniDental owned by Bumiputera professional entrepreneurs under the Professional Entrepreneur Development Programme (ProSPEC) can also serve as a front-line healthcare network supporting the hospital.
“After decades of producing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and health professionals, the time has come for MARA not only to produce professionals in the healthcare industry but also to build and own the institution where they serve, conduct research and eventually lead the industry,” he said.
BERNAMA