Task force mobilised to establish 1st Mara hospital, says Asyraf

Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), has announced the formation of a special task force to develop the organization's first hospital. According to Asyraf, the time is appropriate for Mara to possess its own healthcare facility due to the agency's extensive medical, technical, technological, and entrepreneurial programs.

The hospital could act as an educational setting for students at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Marhadallah Rural Campus (UniKL RCMP), which provides nursing, pharmacy, and physiotherapy programs among others. Asyraf emphasized that clinical training and hospital-based experience are essential for completing the UniKL RCMP educational system.

Furthermore, the hospital could seamlessly combine medical education with Mara's engineering and technology programs, such as biomedical science at UniKL Mestech and various technology disciplines provided at other UniKL campuses. Additionally, the hospital could function as a "living laboratory" for students and researchers, enabling KKTM students to work on hospital equipment and systems while UniKL students develop technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, and medical devices.

Asyraf highlighted that the hospital would be a logical extension of Mara's goal to foster Bumiputera human capital, entrepreneurship, and strategic ownership. After years of producing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals, Mara should not only supply professionals for the healthcare industry but also construct and own an institution where these professionals can serve, conduct research, and eventually lead the sector.