UTAR partners Sunway Healthcare for TCM internship placements

From left: Ms Sarah Chew, Ms Weng, Ms Mun, Ms Christine Chan, Ms Lynette Lim, Dr Lim, Dr Khoo, Dato’ Lau, Prof Dato’ Ewe, Prof Cheong, Mr Leu, Dr Lai, Dr Judick Yap, Ms Ong and Ms Bong

UTAR and SunMed@Home Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Sunway Medical Centre, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 15 November 2022 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus. The memorandum was signed by UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat and Sunway Healthcare Group President Dato’ Lau Beng Long.

The MoU will facilitate internship placements for UTAR’s TCM students at Sunway TCM Centres at Sunway GEO Avenue, Bandar Sunway and Kuching, Sarawak.

In his speech, Prof Dato’ Ewe said, “I would like to thank Sunway TCM Centre for taking in our TCM undergraduate students for clinical training and providing them with guidance and supervision. In August 2016, UTAR signed an MoU with Sunway Medical Centre Sdn Bhd to establish a platform for UTAR and Sunway Medical Centre to collaborate in advancing nursing education, training and career opportunities. As such, we are happy to once again meet Dato’ Lau Beng Long for this MoU exchange with Sunway TCM Centre for our TCM degree students to receive clinical training at the TCM Centre.”

He added, “This MoU will also help us to move further together towards increased prominence and promotion of TCM as part and parcel of treatment and solution for healthcare among patients and the community. TCM is gaining traction as an effective alternative for overall health improvements and treatments. Thus, it is imperative that we educate and train TCM doctors to be knowledgeable to practice good bedside manners and enforce ethical practices and standards to uphold the profession.”

Prof Dato’ Ewe giving his speech

Dato’ Lau also gave a speech, saying, “We are grateful for the opportunity to once again partner with UTAR. This is even more memorable as today is the 23rd anniversary of Sunway Medical Centre. Around two years ago, we started our very first Sunway TCM Centre, which took a unique integrative approach to incorporate both Traditional and Western Medicine to provide leading-edge clinical practice and modern technologies. As such, we hope to deliver more placements for UTAR graduates at the TCM Centre and collaborate with UTAR in other areas too. We have done so in the past when we were chosen by UTAR as the centre for nurses training and physiotherapy, and currently for TCM.”

Dato’ Lau added that Western medicine practitioners have, in recent times, been more receptive to TCM approaches especially in the areas of oncology, pain management, fertility and rehabilitation, hence Sunway Healthcare sees potential to set up a possible TCM hospital in the future.

Dato’ Lau delivering his speech

UTAR Bachelor of Chinese Medicine student, Bong Paul Yie, who is currently interning at Sunway TCM Centre, was also invited to share her intern experience at the event. She said, “I have been enjoying my internship experience so far. At Sunway, they pay attention to many different areas such as oncology, gynaecology and traumatology. However, I am especially fond of their integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine with Western Medicine as it is a unique approach and I have gained valuable knowledge through this internship experience.”

The ceremony reached its peak with the signing and exchange of the MoU documents between Prof Dato’ Ewe and Dato’ Lau. It was then followed by a souvenir exchange and a group photo session. 

Prof Ewe (right) exchanging the MoU documents with Dato’ Lau (left)

Prof Dato’ Ewe (right) and Dato’ Lau (left) exchanging souvenirs

Also present from Sunway Healthcare were the Group’s Managing Director of Hospital and Healthcare Operations Dr Khoo Chow Huat, Group Director of Brand, Marketing and Communication Ms Lynette Lim, Assistant Director of Group Brand and Communication Ms Sarah Chew Suan Mei, Medical Director of Sunway Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Centre Associate Professor Dr Lim Ren Jye, Sunway TCM Centre Head of Operations Ms Christine Chan Si Yan, Sunway TCM Centre Senior Practitioner Ms Mun Weng Yan and Sunway TCM Centre Junior Practitioner Ms Weng May Faye.

Present on behalf of UTAR were M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MK FMHS) Dean Academician Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng, MK FMHS Head of Chinese Medicine Department Mr Leu Kim Fey, MK FMHS Head of Clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine Programme Dr Judick Yap Wei Hoong, Division of Community and International Networking (DCInterNet) Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn and Division of Corporate Communication and Public Relations Director Ms Ong Soo Weon.



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