Penang needs a stronger focus on healthcare innovation, talent development and collaboration as its population ages, says state local government and town and country planning committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye. Advanced healthcare can improve patient care while driving economic growth, research and talent development, he said at the second Surgical Symposium on Advanced Robotic Technology in Juru, The Star reported.
H’ng said the state must keep embracing innovation that allows healthcare professionals to deliver safer and more personalised care. He noted that robotic-assisted surgery is one advancement transforming modern surgical practice, but stressed that innovation is never achieved by technology alone.
According to the Statistics Department, 13.7 per cent of Penang’s population is aged 60 and above in 2026, compared with 12.3 per cent nationally. H’ng said the ageing profile is why the state is putting weight on healthcare capacity and new surgical technology.
The symposium, SSMART 2026, was organised by Sunway Medical Centre Penang and themed ‘Collaborative Intelligence: Humans and Robots Together’. It drew medical professionals from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and neighbouring countries. The hospital runs the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System, the first of its kind in northern Malaysia, alongside the Mako SmartRobotics system for selected hip and knee replacements, according to Penang Hyperlocal.
More than 350 robotic-assisted surgery cases have been performed across various specialties at Sunway Medical Centre Penang, and the hospital completed its first robotic spine surgery on 29 January. Organising chairperson Dr Ann Teoh Ai Yean said robotic systems should complement, not replace, surgeons.
“Robotic systems can provide precision, consistency, enhanced dexterity and excellent visualisation. But surgeons bring something fundamentally different: clinical judgement, experience, adaptability, decision-making and empathy,” she said. “Technology can enhance what we do. It cannot replace why we do it.”
Sunway Medical Centre Penang chief executive officer Christine Lee said the case volume and the first spine surgery were important milestones, but technology alone does not define success. “Behind every successful procedure is a strong multidisciplinary team, including our surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, allied health professionals and support teams,” she said.
H’ng said symposiums such as SSMART create a platform for knowledge exchange and professional development that ultimately improves patient care, and called for collaboration between the public and private sectors, academia and industry to strengthen Penang’s standing as a destination for healthcare excellence.
