KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has urged the state government to provide reasonable infrastructure and facilities for health officials and staff.
Its chief, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, said following the Health Ministry’s announcement that every permanent appointed medical officer must choose at least one placement in Sabah or Sarawak via e-placement 2.0, it was vital that their welfare was prioritised.
This is a wise move to tackle the placement imbalance in the health services industry in Malaysia, he added.
“However, it would only serve its purpose if the state government takes immediate steps to improve logistics and healthcare infrastructure and facilities, to make it more comfortable and safe,” he said.
Bung said Sabah does not lack people with the right spirit to serve in the public sector, but the failure in providing basic facilities puts a barrier towards getting quality services.
“Many medical officers from Peninsular Malaysia have expressed their unwillingness to be placed in Sabah or Sarawak due to the lack of proper infrastructure, such as bad road conditions, poor workers' quarters, inconsistent water and electricity, as well as weak telecommunication access,” he said.
“This demotivates them to come here to work and threatens the whole healthcare service quality in rural and interior areas,” he said.
In the long run, this would affect the confidence towards the public healthcare system and widen the service gap between regions, said Bung.
“Therefore, I urge the state government to prepare a specific action plan to upgrade the quarters, access roads to rural healthcare facilities, as well as basic facilities in clinics and district hospitals,” he said.
He said a special committee with the Health Ministry must also be created to identify critical locations, which need immediate attention, so that these new appointees would not feel that they are being dumped into an isolated zone.
Bung said if the state was serious in making sure that Sabah would not be left behind in healthcare in terms of manpower, services and infrastructure, focus must be given not only to increasing the quality of manpower but also the quality.
“Sabah must be a place for people to want to come and build their career in, with a strong sense of dedication, not just a place of endurance test,” he added.
