Latest news with #SMC
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Katargam residents protest SMC's land possession drive
Surat: Hundreds of residents from the Katargam area gathered outside the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday, staging a dharna in protest against the civic body's move to take possession of land declared reserved under Town Planning (TP) schemes 49, 50, and 51. The protesters, many of whom have been residing in the area for over two decades, alleged that their residential societies have been unjustly marked as reserved plots following recent modifications to the TP schemes. A memorandum listing their demands was submitted to deputy mayor Naresh Patil, in the absence of mayor Daxesh Mavani. The residents argue that although their homes were not under any reservation for years, changes made to the TP schemes three years ago have now left them vulnerable to eviction and land acquisition. They are demanding that the possession process be immediately halted. Following the protest, BJP leaders took up the matter with Union jal shakti minister CR Paatil. "The minister assured us that no further steps will be taken to acquire the reserved land. He has also promised to raise the issue with the state government," said Narendra Pandav, a BJP municipal councillor. Pandav added, "Thousands of people are affected by these changes. We will urge the govt to investigate what went wrong and demand action against those responsible." In recent months, former Katargam BJP MLA Nanu Vanani, who also served as a minister of state in Anandi Patel's govt, has extended support to the residents. Vanani has led delegations and made multiple representations to various authorities on the issue.
Barnama
20 hours ago
- Health
- Barnama
Sunway Medical Centre Retains Malaysia's Top Spot In Paediatrics For Three Consecutive Years
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC) retained its top spot for paediatrics in Malaysia for three years in a row, according to the latest Best Specialised Hospitals Asia Pacific (APAC) Newsweek 2025 rankings. SMC, in a statement today, said the country's largest private quaternary hospital ranks 30th for paediatrics and is also featured in the top 75 APAC hospitals for neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, cardiac surgery, oncology and orthopaedics. President of Sunway Healthcare Group Datuk Lau Beng Long expressed pride for the continued recognition of its healthcare in the region, especially SMC's paediatrics being the top in Malaysia. He said SMC's Children's Health and Development Centre offers the most comprehensive paediatric subspecialties among hospitals in Malaysia, with 26 subspecialties and 50 consultants. He added that the hospital also pioneered the nation's first private hospital 24-hour standalone Children's Emergency Department, operating separately from the adult Accident & Emergency Department, serving as a one-stop centre that offers urgent, comforting care for infants, children and adolescents. 'The hospital also excels in exceptional niche paediatric expertise, including haematology, gastroenterology, oncology and transplant medicine. Sunway Medical Centre became the first private hospital in Malaysia to successfully perform a paediatric kidney transplant, yet another testament to its drive for clinical excellence. 'In addition, the hospital continuously enhances the depth and breadth of its other major adult clinical disciplines like cardiology, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology and orthopaedic surgery,' he said. Meanwhile, SMC Chief Executive Officer Dr Seow Vei Ken said the recognition reaffirms the hospital's commitment to clinical excellence and patient-centred care, especially paediatric services. 'Sunway Medical Centre continues to be at the forefront as Malaysia's top private paediatric service provider, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of specialised care for children,' he said.
Zawya
21 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Specialized Medical Company announces the completion of offering period for individual investors and final allotment of shares
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Specialized Medical Company (' Company ' or ' SMC '), one of the leading healthcare providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (' Kingdom '), recognized as a center of excellence delivering comprehensive and integrated healthcare services across a wide range of specialties, announces the successful completion of the individual investor offering period and the final allotment of the offered shares in relation to the Company's initial public offering (the ' IPO ' or the ' Offering '). Following the successful completion of the institutional book-building period, which has set the final offer price at SAR 25.0 per share and resulted of an oversubscription of 64.7 times of the total offered shares, the individual investors offer took place from 15 June to 16 June 2025G. The number of shares that were allocated to the Individual Investors tranche was 15,000,000 Offer Shares, representing 20% of the total Offer Shares. The Offering saw 317,820 individual investors place orders totaling SAR 542.2 million, reflecting a subscription coverage of 1.45 times for this tranche. The Company allocated a minimum of 10 shares to each individual investor, with the remaining shares allocated on a pro-rata basis, based on the size of demand, with an average allocation factor of 63.9%. Based on the results of the retail subscription process, the shares allocated to institutional investors will be reduced to 60,000,000 shares, representing 80% of the total Offer Shares, provided that such clawback shall not apply to the Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya), being the Cornerstone Investor, and the final allocation to the Cornerstone Investor shall be 5,875,000 Offer Shares in all cases. Accordingly, 54,125,000 shares of the Offer Shares will be allocated to the institutional investors excluding the Offer Shares allocated to the Cornerstone Investor. Bassam Chahine, CEO at Specialized Medical Company commented: 'We are proud to have successfully completed our offering amidst evolving market conditions, which is a testament to the confidence investors have placed in SMC's growth story and long-term strategy. This milestone reinforces our market positioning as a differentiated healthcare provider and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our journey upon the Company's listing.' HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OFFER Following the listing, the Company will have a free float of 30% (75,000,000) of its total Shares (250,000,000). The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya) subscribed, as Cornerstone Investor, for 5,875,000 shares of the Offer Shares (representing 2.35% of the Company's share capital after the Offering). The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya) is considered a major investor in the Saudi markets. The Company believes that the contribution of the Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya) will provide an essential drive for achieving growth and long-term strategic goals. The Offer Shares will be listed and traded on the Saudi Exchange's Main Market following the completion of the Offering and listing formalities with both the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Saudi Exchange.
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Govt Launches Suicide Prevention Plan
A five-year plan aiming to tackle New Zealand's 'stubbornly high suicide rates' has been released today. The plan includes new strategies like peer support roles for mental health patients in emergency departments, and crisis recovery cafés so people don't have to resort to a hospital and can receive care in the community. The SMC asked experts to comment. Jacqui Maguire, Registered Clinical Psychologist, comments: 'New Zealand's suicide statistics remain a source of national shame. The Government's new Suicide Prevention Action Plan signals good intent, but without meaningful detail, it is difficult to assess its true impact. 'The most obvious gap in the plan is workforce development. Peer support and coordination roles are valuable, but the plan does not outline the training and retention of psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses who are needed to meet demand. Across both public and NGO services, workforce shortages, not just budget, are a real constraint. If we do not have qualified professionals we cannot deliver the required scale of care. 'Secondly, I believe the plan could be bolder and more detailed. For example, Every emergency department should have skilled, trained support not just the 8 regions outlined. Peer support is already being trialled, including in Wellington ED, but suicide risk exists nationwide. The alcohol and suicide link is acknowledged, but there is no clear policy action mentioned. For example, will the Plan tackle outlet density or alcohol pricing? We need to ensure therapy is accessible to all. The current model excludes many middle-income earners, who fall outside subsidy thresholds and cannot afford private care. Unless you are under 25 and covered by PIKI, access can be incredibly limited. That is neither equitable nor sustainable. The plan also speaks to hope, wellbeing and prevention yet makes little reference to the deeper drivers of suicide such as loneliness, housing stress, cultural disconnection and income insecurity. If we want significant suicide reduction, these issues are central. While the plan refers to data and information sharing, it does not address the kind of infrastructure needed to enable real-time, coordinated care. Particularly between crisis services and mental health teams. Without this, continuity of care will likely remain fragmented. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'The plan sounds promising on paper. However without a clear picture of who is delivering what, and how services will be integrated, it is hard to see how this plan will drive the scale of change New Zealand urgently needs to meaningfully reduce suicide.' No conflict of interest declared. Anthony O'Brien, Associate Professor in Mental Health Nursing, University of Waikato, comments: 'It is encouraging to see this new action plan on suicide. There is some tension between the action areas of the plan, and other areas of policy. Some actions require no funding but have the potential to limit suicide risk. 'For example the role of alcohol is highlighted, but curbs on alcohol advertising are not suggested. There is no plan to act on the role of social media in fueling suicide risk. There is limited recognition in the plan of the increased risk of suicide among people who are not employed, despite the report identifying social determinants contributing to suicide risk. 'It is good to see recognition of how various workforces can respond to suicidal thinking and support for those bereaved by suicide. There could be more recognition of the role of primary health care. It was surprising that the Access and Choice Programme was not included in current health-led suicide prevention supports. Also absent is the role of school nurses who in addition to providing support for students experiencing distress could be mobilised as school-based champions of suicide prevention. 'Given the commitment to measurable outcomes it would have been good to see some recognition of a suicide research strategy.'
Argaam
a day ago
- Business
- Argaam
SMC retail IPO 1.5x covered; 10 share/subscriber
Specialized Medical Co. (SMC) successfully completed of its retail subscription for listing on the Main Market (TASI), SNB Capital said in a statement to Tadawul. SNB Capital and EFG Hermes KSA are the lead manager, financial advisor, bookrunner, and underwriter for the potential initial public offering (IPO). As many as 317,820 retail investors subscribed to the offering at a final price of SAR 25 per share, with total retail requests of nearly SAR 542.2 million. The IPO was 1.45x covered. Individual investors will receive a minimum of 10 shares each, while rump shares will be allocated on a pro-rata basis based on the size of each individual investor's request compared to the total remaining subscribed shares, at an average allocation factor of 63.9%. According to data compiled by Argaam, retail investors subscribed during June 15-16, to 15 million shares of SMC at SAR 25 per share, which was determined through the book-building process. SMC offered 75 million shares, representing 30% of the company's SAR 250 million capital divided into 250 million shares at SAR 1 each, on the Main Market (TASI).
