Mara-developed U.n.i clinics will be expanded into pharmacy chain

Ragananthini Vethasalam Ragananthini Vethasalam Updated 6 years ago · Published on 23 Oct 2019 11:51AM · 3 Comments

Rural Development Minister Rina Harun says U.n.i clinics can be found in rural and town areas. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 23, 2019.

THE U.n.i network of clinics, developed under Mara’s Professional Entrepreneur Development Programme (Prospec), will be expanded into a pharmacy chain, said Rina Harun.

“Mara’s aim for Prospec is to produce entrepreneurs from among professionals. It started with the medical field through the development of a chain of clinics under the U.n.i brand,” the rural development minister told the Dewan Rakyat today.

She said participating doctors are given entrepreneurship training, consultation, advice, promotion and funding assistance to help them set up their own clinics.

RM5.4 million was spent on the first batch, involving 18 clinics, she said.

“This programme allows doctors who have completed their housemanship, and those with a medical licence and work experience, who want to venture into entrepreneurship, to open clinics.”

She said the entrepreneurship aspect makes U.n.i clinics different from 1Malaysia Clinics.

Additionally, the U.n.i clinics aim to provide affordable health services to low-income folk, who qualify for the Health Ministry’s Peka B40 scheme.

The programme’s second round is expected to involve 20 participants.

“Besides setting up another 20 clinics, we also want to develop a network of pharmacies under the U.n.i brand,” said Rina, who called on pharmacists interested in running their own business to sign up.

She was replying to a question by Mastura Mohd Yazid (BN-Kuala Kangsar) about the difference between U.n.i clinics and 1Malaysia Clinics.

To a supplementary question by Mastura on whether U.n.i clinics are concentrated in rural areas, in line with Mara’s mandate, Rina said they can be found in both rural and town areas. – October 23, 2019.

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Comments

  • Really tongkat style that will fail again, not because of the entrepreneurship program but the way of grants and finance aids will put the doctors on fantasy mode and when funds are pulled back later, the clinic will collapse bcos living in fantasy of the program. Another plan to fail.

    Posted 6 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • If Malays really has dignity, stand up by yourself, then u will survive long and with respect. Not this old , ineffective and fantasy style. Not realistic, nobody grows well under tongkat style. They have to live up to expectation, or ready to face bungkus.

    Posted 6 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • How are these doctors going to compete with the 1Malaysia clinic or whatever is known as now? People pay a minimal sum of a few ringgit in these clinics why would they go to the u.n.i. Clinics or u.n.i.pharmacies? This is a waste of tax payers money and it will fail just like the Mara digital malls. You need to do better than this Rina Harun.

    Posted 6 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply