MIRI – The city of Miri is poised to become a regional pioneer in medical technology with the establishment of the first artificial intelligence (AI) research centre dedicated to healthcare in the region.
The Fudan University Joint Research Centre for Innovative Drugs in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine was officially launched following the handover of the Old Miri City Council Building on Jalan Kingsway to the university.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Prof. Dr. Sim Kui Hian described the initiative as the beginning of a health reform revolution in Sarawak, introducing the groundbreaking concept of AI Medicine to the state.
Dr. Sim stated that this technology would enable citizens to undergo early disease screening through AI applications before receiving physician referrals, fundamentally transforming the healthcare delivery system.
Beyond AI research, the project serves as the foundation for establishing the Fudan Medical School in Sarawak, addressing the critical shortage of approximately 2,000 doctors in the region.
Local universities currently produce only about 150 doctors annually, insufficient for the needs of an ageing population.
The Deputy Premier emphasized that the medical school’s establishment is particularly significant as it represents Fudan University’s first such venture abroad and will substantially contribute to solving Sarawak’s physician deficit.
The ceremony was attended by Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin and Deputy Minister of Tourism Dato Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, among other dignitaries.