KOTA KINABALU: Sabah records the highest number of infectious diseases in Malaysia, prompting calls for greater autonomy in healthcare policies to better address the state’s unique health challenges.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam stated that while healthcare remains under the Sabah Health Ministry must have a stronger voice in decision-making, particularly in areas like vaccination programmes and disease control.
"Sabah faces the highest burden of infectious diseases in the country, yet key healthcare policies are decided at the federal level.
"We believe Sabah should have more control because we know our challenges best and how to tackle them effectively," he said at the Parti Bersatu Sabah 40th Anniversary celebration on Wednesday (March 5).
He added that discussions on increasing Sabah’s role in healthcare have been positive, with hopes of reaching an understanding with the federal government by June this year.
Dr Gunsalam stressed that despite its high disease burden, Sabah’s healthcare system continues to lag behind other states in terms of hospital development, staffing, and overall infrastructure.
"We have raised concerns with the Federal Government, and while there is recognition of these issues, technical hurdles remain. The shortage of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and even ambulance drivers, further worsens the situation," he said.
Sabah is also pushing for a review of existing ordinances to grant the state more authority over healthcare administration. Dr Gunsalam mentioned there are five key areas where Sabah seeks greater autonomy but did not specify them.
Dr Gunsalam highlighted several bureaucratic challenges that make healthcare management in Sabah more difficult.
"For instance, when someone passes away in Sabah, their case often needs to be referred to Kuala Lumpur. If a person dies in KL or overseas, Sabah cannot simply bring them back without federal approval, leading to unnecessary complications," he explained.
Dr Gunsalam said these issues were discussed in a recent Sabah Health Development Joint Action Committee meeting with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Currently, healthcare is listed under the Federal List in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution, meaning it falls under federal jurisdiction.
However, Dr Gunsalam argued that there are provisions that allow shared management between federal and state governments.
Sabah has its own healthcare-related laws, including the Public Health Ordinance 1960 and the Local Government Ordinance 1961, which could be leveraged to give the state more control over policy implementation.
