{
  "id": 19941645,
  "title": "First university teaching hospital in Johor: RM900m USIM facility to be built in Sedili, says Khaled Nordin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/first-university-teaching-hospital-in-johor-rm900m-usim-facility-to-19941645",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-14T07:05:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/11/14/first-university-teaching-hospital-in-johor-rm900m-usim-facility-to-be-built-in-sedili-says-khaled-nordin/243250"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA TINGGI, November 14 — The US$900 million Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) Teaching Hospital (HPU) construction project is set to begin in Sedili, Johor, next year, aimed at delivering healthcare services and conducting medical research with a focus on rural communities, according to Kota Tinggi MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. Khaled, now the Defence Minister, revealed that the project proposal he made as Higher Education Minister has been approved by the government and is expected to be completed within three to four years. The contractor for the project has already been chosen, and Khaled anticipates expedited processes to allow preliminary work to commence next year. This university teaching hospital holds significance beyond producing medical professionals and specialists; it will also contribute to research as 70 percent of new discoveries occur in health and biomedical fields worldwide. Currently, most teaching hospitals are located in the Klang Valley, with research primarily focusing on the urban population. The construction of the USIM HPU will establish Johor as the first state to have a university teaching hospital, expanding medical research opportunities to the region. Notably, USIM's hospital is situated in Kelantan, while other university hospitals are spread across Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak. Khaled, who proposed the project when he was the Higher Education Minister, envisioned its establishment in rural areas, particularly near Felda settlements and fishing communities, to better understand community health and discover new knowledge related to rural health issues. The site selection in Sedili is also anticipated to stimulate development in the area and facilitate comprehensive research activities involving rural communities. Khaled expressed his aspiration to witness the ground-breaking ceremony as early as next year, emphasizing that this project will bring transformative changes to Sedili, in line with the government's vision for appropriate development in the region.",
  "summary": "KOTA TINGGI, Nov 14 — The construction project of the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) Teaching Hospital (HP...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Construction of first teaching hospital in Johor starts in 2027, says Khaled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/construction-of-first-teaching-hospital-in-johor-starts-in-2027-says",
        "published": "2026-11-14T07:15:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}