PETALING JAYA: Plans are afoot for Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) to set up its first hospital, says its chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
He said the proposed hospital will 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,” Asyraf Wajdi said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He added that Mara already had a strong foundation in healthcare education and that the hospital could bring together its medical education, TVET, technology and entrepreneurship networks.
Asyraf Wajdi said Mara is currently working with Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) to offer 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.
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.
Asyraf Wajdi 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, Asyraf Wajdi said, is its combination of medical, engineering and technology education.
“A Mara hospital could also serve as a living laboratory for Mara students and researchers.
“KKTM students could be involved in hospital equipment and systems technology and 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.
Asyraf Wajdi 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.
