KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government’s announcement to offer 560 permanent medical officer postings for Sabah beginning this October is seen to be able to ease staffing pressures at healthcare facilities across the state, provided those sent here remain over the long-term.
Sabah Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Julita Majungki said while this announcement is very much anticipated and welcomed, it was also important to make sure that these officers actually report for duty.
“Recruitment is an important first step, but retention is equally critical. We must ensure that healthcare professionals who choose to serve in Sabah are supported and encouraged to build long-term careers here,” she said.
She said the additional staff could further enhance access to quality healthcare services, particularly for communities in underserved areas.
Julita said the announcement reflects the urgency of addressing Sabah’s longstanding shortage of healthcare personnel, particularly in rural and remote districts where access to medical services remains a challenge.
Julita said efforts to strengthen recruitment should be complemented by measures to improve retention, particularly for healthcare personnel serving in rural and remote areas.
She reiterated proposals she had previously raised to strengthen the recruitment and retention of healthcare personnel in Sabah, including the restoration and strengthening of incentive schemes.
This includes the Regional Incentive Payment (BIW), improved support for medical personnel serving in rural and remote districts, and efforts to provide a conducive working environment for healthcare professionals, she listed.
“Recruitment is an important first step, but retention is equally critical. We must ensure that healthcare professionals who choose to serve in Sabah are supported and encouraged to build long term careers here,” said Julita.
Julita said the state government looks forward to continuing its close cooperation with the Health Ministry (MoH) to strengthen healthcare services, address manpower shortages and improve healthcare outcomes for Sabahans.
On Thursday, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib told Parliament that the ministry will appoint 560 new permanent medical officers for Sabah starting this October, a direct bid to ease the state’s chronic doctor shortage.
She said in response to Kinabatangan MP Datuk Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar’s question over this issue, while acknowledging that past records show that reporting rates barely reach 50% from the total number allocated.
However, if half of the 560 new staff show up in Sabah, they can still meet the state’s shortfall of 256 medical officers.
