KUALA LUMPUR – The government is urged to empower corporate endowments such as that introduced by the Johor Corporation Berhad (JCorp) involving the Wakaf An-Nur Clinic in Johor, said Senator Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
He said government and non-government organisations and corporate bodies could play an important role in boosting public health infrastructure in the country.
Taking the example of Ibn Toulon, Zulkifli said Ibn Toulon had established hospitals for the poor in Cairo, Egypt in 913 AD other than obstetrics and gynaecology medical institutions in cities such as Harran, Turkey; Baghdas, Iraq; and Jundishapur, Iran.
“The biggest maternity hospital in the city of Baghdad was built by Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
“He also established a midwifery school and appointed doctors as Health Ministers and Palace Doctors while the biggest maternity hospital in the city of Rayy (in Iran) was built for the whole of Persia.
“Among the famous hospitals in Islam are the al-Muqtadiri, al’Atiq dan al-Mansori Hospitals.
“These hospitals were all financed and managed through endowment sources,” he said during the 12th Malaysia Plan debate session in Dewan Negara here today, as a recommendation to the government to boost public health levels post (COVID-19) pandemic.
In addition, he said it was also apt that the government should give additional special allowances to COVID-19 emergency personnel.
