KOTA KINABALU: Proposed federal budget cuts to the Health Ministry risk worsening Sabah’s healthcare crisis, says Parti Warisan health bureau chief Dr Istefan Koh.
He said public healthcare cannot be compromised when the state is struggling with a severe shortage of doctors.
“Sabah needs over 9,000 doctors but has only 2,884. That leaves a shortfall of 4,526, with a doctor-to-population ratio of 1:775 — far below the national target of 1:400.
“Cutting healthcare funding under these conditions is a clear policy contradiction,” he said in a statement on Thursday (April 24).
Dr Koh said that hospitals and clinics are already under strain from workforce shortages, rising patient loads, and post-pandemic treatment backlogs.
“Any reduction in funding will directly affect service delivery and worsen burnout among existing personnel.
“Without sufficient investment, recruitment and retention will remain constrained. Doctors may migrate to the private sector or overseas, leaving Sabah even more vulnerable,” he added.
He hoped that fiscal discipline must be balanced with responsibility to safeguard public welfare.
Dr Koh stressed that healthcare is a structural challenge, not a sector that can be compromised for short-term savings.
“The government must explain how it intends to address Sabah’s doctor shortage if funding is reduced. Without a clear plan, these measures risk being seen as disconnected from the actual needs of the healthcare system,” Dr Koh said.
He urged the federal government to reconsider broad-based reductions in critical sectors and instead focus on trimming non-essential expenditures, improving administrative efficiency, and strengthening governance.
