(Sibu, 3rd) – University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) plans to establish a medical school in order to alleviate the shortage of doctors and several key medical specialists in Sarawak.
According to a TVS report, University of Technology Sarawak recently received the “Feasibility Study Report on Establishing a Bachelor of Medicine Program,” marking the school's first step toward setting up a medical school.
UTS Board Chairman Dato Annuar Rapaee said the report would serve as the basis for the next phase of work, and before being submitted to the Sarawak government for consideration, it will first be reviewed by the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD).
He said: “After accepting the report on behalf of UTS, we will submit the research findings to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development for assessment, and then present them to the Sarawak government for consideration and approval.”
“This is a very important first step in our efforts to establish Sarawak’s first homegrown medical school. Only after this will we know if the Sarawak government agrees to establish this medical school.”
He made these remarks while attending the research report handover ceremony in Sibu on Thursday (2nd).
Dato Annuar Rapaee, who is also Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, pointed out that establishing a homegrown medical school in Sarawak is urgently needed, as the state is currently short of about 2,000 doctors and medical specialists.
He said that although doctors and specialists are continuously being trained nationwide, the number returning to serve in Sarawak remains insufficient, making it difficult to meet the state’s healthcare needs.
He stated that once the proposal receives approval from the Sarawak government, UTS will become the first local university in Sarawak to offer a medical program.
Annuar Rapaee also thanked the research team led by Professor Dr. Lela Suut from the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), for completing a 173-page feasibility study report after an in-depth study over a period of six months.
On another note, he revealed that UTS has also initiated discussions on cooperation with four top global medical schools: University of Dundee (UK), University College London (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), and National University of Singapore, hoping to become strategic partners in jointly promoting the development of the medical program.
He said all four universities have shown a positive response to cooperation, and their feedback has already been incorporated into the feasibility study report.
UTS Board Chairman Dato Annuar Rapaee said the report would serve as the basis for the next phase of work, and before being submitted to the Sarawak government for consideration, it will first be reviewed by the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD).
He said: “After accepting the report on behalf of UTS, we will submit the research findings to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development for assessment, and then present them to the Sarawak government for consideration and approval.”
“This is a very important first step in our efforts to establish Sarawak’s first homegrown medical school. Only after this will we know if the Sarawak government agrees to establish this medical school.”
He made these remarks while attending the research report handover ceremony in Sibu on Thursday (2nd).
Dato Annuar Rapaee, who is also Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, pointed out that establishing a homegrown medical school in Sarawak is urgently needed, as the state is currently short of about 2,000 doctors and medical specialists.
He said that although doctors and specialists are continuously being trained nationwide, the number returning to serve in Sarawak remains insufficient, making it difficult to meet the state’s healthcare needs.
He stated that once the proposal receives approval from the Sarawak government, UTS will become the first local university in Sarawak to offer a medical program.
Annuar Rapaee also thanked the research team led by Professor Dr. Lela Suut from the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), for completing a 173-page feasibility study report after an in-depth study over a period of six months.
On another note, he revealed that UTS has also initiated discussions on cooperation with four top global medical schools: University of Dundee (UK), University College London (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), and National University of Singapore, hoping to become strategic partners in jointly promoting the development of the medical program.
He said all four universities have shown a positive response to cooperation, and their feedback has already been incorporated into the feasibility study report.