The government’s plan to upgrade Hospital Sibu from a district to a regional hospital remains on course, Sibu MP Oscar Ling says.
He said the project, which would be implemented in phases, aimed to bring the hospital up to a standard equivalent to that of the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.
“As part of the upgrade, the main focus will be on constructing a new hospital building under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), with an estimated cost of RM1bil,” he said in a media statement.
The new facility will focus on cancer treatment, including the establishment of a specialised oncology department.
Ling explained that the absence of specific mentions in the Prime Minister’s Budget speech did not necessarily mean that projects were excluded from Budget 2026.
“The Budget speech only lasts for one or two hours, while the full Budget document covers much more,” he said.
He noted that after the announcement, many people in Sibu were understandably concerned about developments related to the hospital, local clinics and other infrastructure projects.
He revealed that the Cardiac Intervention Unit for Hospital Sibu had already been approved – one of three such facilities sanctioned in Sarawak, along with Bintulu and Miri.
“However, construction has been delayed due to limited space within the hospital compound.
“In addition, the temporary relocation project for Oya Health Clinic is being planned and arranged,” he said.
Health Ministry, Ling said, had also agreed that the existing site should be considered for reconstruction, due to its ideal location.
He assured that while Budget 2026 did not explicitly highlight certain projects, developments were ongoing.
“Among projects relevant to Sibu are the RM2bil Madani Submarine Cable System, which will enhance regional Internet services, and several upgrading works along the Pan-Borneo Highway costing RM350mil.”
He also shared that his service centre had allocated nearly RM1mil over the past two years to establish a Neurosurgery High Dependency Unit (HDU) at Hospital Sibu.
“This is good news for stroke patients and those requiring neurosurgical procedures, including cancer patients,” he added.
