PETALING JAYA: Mara is considering setting up its first hospital to strengthen its healthcare education ecosystem and create more opportunities for bumiputra professionals and entrepreneurs.
Its chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Mara has a strong foundation in healthcare education, including Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP), which offers programmes in nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and other related fields.
"Clinical training and experience at a teaching hospital are essential to completing the UniKL RCMP ecosystem," he said in a Facebook post on Monday (Aug 24).
Asyraf Wajdi said Mara also had almost all the components needed to support such an institution, including medical education through UniKL RCMP, TVET and technology training through KKTM (now TVETMara), as well as entrepreneurship, financing and industrial networks.
"Mara’s strength is that it does not only have medical institutions. It also has TVET, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship, financing and industry networks.
"A hospital could serve as a platform where all these components come together," he said.
He added that the biomedical science programme at UniKL Mestech and technology disciplines offered at other UniKL campuses could also be integrated into the proposed hospital.
One of Mara’s key advantages, he said, was its combination of medical, engineering and technology education.
"A Mara hospital could also serve as a living laboratory for students and researchers.
"KKTM students could be involved in hospital equipment and systems technology, UniKL RCMP students could undergo clinical training, while students at other UniKL campuses could develop AI, IoT, robotics and medical devices.
"At the same time, Mara entrepreneurs could supply products and services to the ecosystem," he added.
He said the network of 160 U.n.i Klinik, U.n.i Farmasi and U.n.i Dental branches could also strengthen the case for setting up a Mara hospital.
"Mara already has a frontline healthcare network through clinics owned by professional bumiputra entrepreneurs under the ProSPEC programme," he said.
Asyraf Wajdi said the proposed hospital would be a natural extension of Mara’s mandate to develop bumiputra human capital, entrepreneurship and strategic ownership.
"After decades of producing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and healthcare professionals, it is time for Mara not only to produce professionals for the healthcare industry, but also to build and own an institution where they can serve, conduct research and ultimately lead the industry," he said.
