The Putra Specialist Hospital Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Malacca government, will set up a cancer centre to meet the demands of cancer patients, thus making it the third cancer centre to be made available in Malacca.

The first two cancer centres in the state have been made available at Mahkota Medical Hospital and Pantai Hospital.

Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam said the centre would be built beside the Putra Specialist Hospital in Jalan Bendahara at a cost of RM30 million and was expected to be completed in 2014.

“We will open the tenders early next month and the contractor will be appointed in October,” he told reporters after opening the Putra Clinic at the Telekom Malaysia (TM) Tower at the Melaka International Trade Centre today.

Present were TM Berhad chairperson Dr Halim Shafie and Putra Specialist Hospital chief executive officer Radhuana Salleh.

Mohd Ali said the construction of the cancer centre was also hoped to boost the state’s health-tourism industry.

He also said four more Putra Clinics would be opened in Jasin, Masjid Tanah, Alor Gajah and Central Malacca by the end of this year.

- Bernama