New SMC is a 'hospital of the future'
Monday, 03 January 2005 (Source: Daily Express)

KOTA KINABALU: The new Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) is a "hospital of the future" and is comparable to some of the top private hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Resource and Information Technology Development Minister, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, was told of this when he visited the site of the new eight-storey complex along Jalan Damai here.

Briefing Dr Yee who is also Kota Kinabalu MP, SMC Chairman Dr Tsue Fui Loong said the RM150 million hospital would have modern medical equipment which are currently not found in any hospital in the region.

One of them is the linear accelerator, a scanning machine used for external bean radiation treatments for cancer patients.

Its unique feature lies in its ability to deliver a uniform dose of high-energy x-ray to destroy cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue.

The new SMC, scheduled to be operational this June, would have 120 beds to start with, and has room for expansion to 300 beds.

SMC was initiated by the State Government in 1988 and lost some RM33 million before it was privatised.

A management buy-out facilitated a smart deal with the Ministry of Health, which is developing it into the city's second hospital after Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The new facilities would specialise in pediatrics and gynaecology.

"(The new) SMC is designed to cater for our needs for the next 20 years," said Dr Tseu, who is a cardiology specialist.

Aside from providing medical and healthcare, SMC would be a centre for further and continuing education for doctors and medical-related vocations, including nursing, which is supported by a library and 200-seat auditorium.

SMC is a key medical institution in Sabah and through its collaboration with the National Heart Institute, more than 2,200 coronary angiograms and 400 coronary angioplastics have been performed.

In addition, more than 500 heart surgeries have been carried out in SMC. "Our patients were able to undergo treatment for about half the cost of some private centres," said Dr Tseu.

Meanwhile, Dr Yee said he was impressed with the SMC, saying it is set to become one of the best private hospitals in Malaysia.

"The new SMC will create a benchmark for the medical and healthcare sector in Sabah. Its wide range of services and use of modern technology will have a positive impact on the development of human resources and technology," he said.

He said the presence of private medical centres such as SMC in Sabah had effectively complemented the services provided by government-run hospitals. They have also helped to bring down the cost of some delicate interventional cardiology procedures by making them available here, he said.

Dr Yee said major investments such as those put into the SMC created a demand for professionals such as doctors and nurses as well as offer opportunities for Sabahans trained in these and related professions to return to develop their careers at home.

"The Government is aware that in today's borderless world, Sabah businessmen can opt to put their capital in markets outside the State, which promise better returns. In this context, the SMC's decision to reinvest in the new medical centre is laudable," he said.

"The State Government is happy that its investment in SMC is appreciating in value (Sabah Government holds 17 per cent of SMC shares whose value has appreciated from 40 sen to RM1.80)".

Dr Yee also encouraged the SMC to seriously consider venturing into medical-health tourism to take advantage of the relatively low cost in Sabah.