KUCHING: A total of 175 out of 271 government health clinics in Sarawak had been equipped with digital facilities as of December 2025, as part of efforts to expand access to more efficient and patient-centred healthcare services.

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said the digitalisation efforts would be further strengthened, with the target of equipping all government health clinics in the state this year.

He said the move was important to enable technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine to be utilised more extensively, particularly in strengthening healthcare delivery for residents in rural and remote areas.

“Advancements in healthcare do not only depend on technological discoveries and research, but more importantly, on how these outcomes can be applied within the healthcare system so that the benefits reach the community,” he said.

He said this when officiating at the 5th International Biohealth Science Conference (IBSC2026) here on Thursday.

The conference, held from Aug 5 to 7, brought together about 200 researchers, scientists, healthcare practitioners, industry players and students from both within and outside the country.

IBSC2026, organised by the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Cancer Centre (PKTAAB), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), carries the theme ‘Precision Health: Integrating Science, Technology and Care for Personalised Well-being’, with emphasis on the integration of science, technology and healthcare towards more personalised care.

Datuk Amar Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, added that the approach was also directly linked to efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which focuses on good health and well-being.

In a related development, he expressed hope that IBSC2026 would provide more opportunities for researchers and industry players to establish cross-disciplinary collaborations, develop new innovations and expand regional research networks.

Such efforts, he said, were crucial in ensuring that advancements in science and technology could be translated into improved healthcare service quality and provide wider benefits to the community.

Also present were Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi-UMS Cancer Centre Director Associate Professor Dr Bakiah Shaharuddin, Sarawak Deputy State Health Director Dr Azlee Ayub and IBSC2026 Organising Chairperson Associate Professor Dr Doblin Sandai. -UKASnews