KAJANG: The Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Hospital is expected to be fully operational in June with the completion of its conventional medical services facility.
UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat said Health Ministry officials visited the hospital last month as part of the approval process.
“They shared with us the improvements we should make, which we have duly acted on.
“We are now waiting for the operation approval. We plan to start operating around May or June,” he said at the UTAR Sungai Long campus here yesterday.
The hospital’s traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) centre started operating in April last year. The centre has so far received more than 20,000 patient visits with patients coming from Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Johor and some east coast states.
“We hope that by the middle of this year, the Ayurvedic and traditional Malay medicine under the TCM can also be offered,” he said, adding that the ongoing fundraising effort was now short of RM40mil of its RM330mil target.
UTAR Hospital board member and Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Prof Cheong Soon Keng said the university hospital would also focus on several medical services, such as the cardio diagnostic and cancer centre, including stem cell transplant, to distinguish it from other hospitals and attract patients.
“We are also in talks with the Health Ministry to share some of our services, and ease the congestion at the Ipoh general hospital,” he said.Earlier, an agreement was inked between UTAR and Xiao En KL Bhd to raise funds for the hospital.
The bereavement company has agreed that all profit after tax from the sale of the niches on the fifth floor of its newest columbarium project – Xiao En Tower of Light – would be channelled to support the hospital.
Xiao En group chairman and founder Datin Choo Lein Sei Keng and director Datuk Frank Choo Chua Siang signed the agreement with UTAR, which was represented by Education Foundation Board of Trustees chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum. It was witnessed by board member Datuk Lee Leck Cheng.Frank said the new Xiao En Tower of Light is the first city columbarium in Malaysia that adopts sustainability.
Planned on over 4,300sq m of land next to the current Xiao En Centre in Cheras, the project has 15 floors, with 11 floors dedicated to the columbarium and four floors of communal space. It is expected to be completed in four years.
Thanking Xiao En for the initiative, Dr Sak estimated that RM36mil would be channelled from the columbarium to the hospital in the next five years.
Also present were UTAR chancellor Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, his wife Toh Puan Ena Ling, UTAR Council chairman Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh and council member Datuk Lim Si Cheng, UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees members Datuk Dr Tan Chong Tin and Datuk Lee Leck Cheng as well as Xiao En KL executive director Wong Huey Miin.
