Hanoi:Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang announced that the feasibility study for the proposed MARA Hospital is expected to be completed within three months. Following the study, pre-implementation work, including obtaining necessary approvals, will commence.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, MARA has formed a special committee of experts and professionals, including alumni and internal specialists, to evaluate the hospital's feasibility and implementation model. The study will address healthcare needs, location, capacity, staffing, costs, financing, and legal and regulatory compliance, aligning with MARA's mandate.

Rubiah explained that establishing a hospital is a complex undertaking requiring thorough examination of location, bed capacity, specialization areas, costs, funding sources, and operational timelines. This was in response to a query from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) regarding the strategic rationale behind the first MARA Hospital and its planning status.

The proposal, supported by MARA's management and alumni, aligns with the agency's 60th anniversary and leverages its healthcare and medicine education ecosystem. The hospital aims to serve as an integrated healthcare hub, focusing on treatment, clinical training, specialist development, research, and Bumiputera healthcare entrepreneurship.

The hospital is also envisioned to boost the Bumiputera healthcare value chain by offering training, career opportunities, and fostering Bumiputera vendors in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Performance indicators would encompass graduate placements, specialist development, and community benefits.

Rubiah emphasized that before final decisions are made, the feasibility study will consider MARA's objectives of enhancing Bumiputera participation, ownership, and control in the socioeconomic sector.