U.n.i Clinic programme helps doctors become entrepreneurs

"... when they become entrepreneurs, opening their own clinics, it will eventually increase their income and will also help families in rural areas," said Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun. (File photo)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23  -- The U.n.i Clinic programme, introduced under MARA’s  Professional Entrepreneur Development Programme (ProSPEC) earlier this year, has successfully helped doctors enter the field of entrepreneurship, with 18 clinics being opened.

Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the programme also contributed to the health services of households earning the lowest 40 per cent (B40), by providing services to the local people through the healthcare protection scheme, ‘Peduli Kesihatan’ or PeKa B40.

The U.n.i Clinic aims to produce more entrepreneurs among professionals, when I went to the ground to meet these doctors, most of them told me they were neither taught to be entrepreneurs nor opened a clinic before.

“... when they become entrepreneurs, opening their own clinics, it will eventually increase their income and will also help families in rural areas,” she said at an oral question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

She was responding to Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid's (BN-Kuala Kangsar) question about whether the U.n.i Clinic should be preferably in a rural location so that the objective of its establishment was not lost.

In the meantime, Rina said her ministry plans to open another 20 U.n.i Clinics.

She said that since the programme was implemented in January, 18 clinics had been approved with funding amounting to RM5.4 million to be the capital for the first group to start their business.

-- BERNAMA