IPOH, Oct 15 — Ipoh is poised to become the best health city by 2025 due to the rapid development of medical centres currently under construction.

Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said there are five new centres around the city, such as the National Neuro-Robotics and Cybernics Rehabilitation Centre in Meru Raya, Seri Botani Hospital and Sunway Medical Centre.

"Most of them are currently under construction and those that have been completed include the Perak Community Specialist Hospital (PCSH) and the Seri Botani Hospital, while the hospital in Bandar Sunway, Tambun is expected to be completed soon.

"The Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) health complex in Bandar Meru Raya, the largest in South-east Asia, and the Quill Medical Centre in Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah are also under construction. The construction of several more health centres is in the pipeline.”

He said this at a press conference after officiating at the Breast Cancer and Diabetes Awareness Campaign ‘Fight For Pink Act For Blue’ organised by PCSH here today.

Rumaizi said the construction of health centres around the city involved an investment of over RM1 billion in the initial phase and expected more investment at the next stage as part of the Ipoh City Council (MBI) strategic plan to promote progress in the health sector.

"All these construction projects are expected to be completed by the end of next year and we will have an additional 1,000 beds.

"This will, in turn, create over 8,000 job opportunities related to the healthcare sector, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrative staff and even finance officers,” he said.

He said apart from tourism, MBI would focus on the healthcare sector because the new medical centres can help residents get health services easily and at an affordable cost while providing them the opportunity to increase their income. — Bernama