HEART INSTITUTE WILL BE MADE AN R&D CENTRE, SAYS PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The National Heart Institute (IJN) will be
accorded the status of a research and development (R&D) centre, Prime Minister
Najib Razak announced Monday.

Najib announced the decision at a press conference after opening IJN's new
wing here.

He was responding to a request from IJN chairman Mohd Salleh Ismail who had
broached the subject when giving his (Mohd Salleh's) speech during the ceremony.

Najib said the status was in recognition of the institute, which had become
a prominent heart centre in the region.

He added that the government would also assist IJN to continue to expand and
increase its capabilities.

"I believe by becoming a R&D centre, better ways of treating heart diseases
can be found, including using stem cell applications," he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Najib had also suggested that IJN benchmark itself
against the best heart centres in the world, among them the Cleveland Clinic
Heart Centre in the United States.
-- BERNAMA