Sabah Heart Centre given top priority, Dzulkefly concedes staffing shortage remains a challenge

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 17 — The Health Minister, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, has confirmed that the construction of the RM125 million Sabah Heart Centre is set to commence in the third quarter of 2027, with the facility aiming to be operational by the third quarter of 2029. The project, as approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan, is currently in its preliminary stages, with material testing services being procured, scheduled to be finalized this month.

The Health Minister, who chaired the inaugural 2026 Joint Action Committee Meeting on Sabah Health Development alongside the state's Women, Health, and People's Wellbeing Minister, Datuk Julita Mojungki, disclosed that the Heart Centre would receive top priority from the Health Ministry. The RM125 million budget covers the entire project, including upgrading, procurement, and preliminary works.

It was announced that the centre will be located within the Queen Elizabeth II hospital, though earlier reports suggested land had been allocated near University Malaysia Sabah. Dzulkefly acknowledged that staffing is a significant challenge, stating that the ministry is collaborating with the Public Service Department to tackle the issue, including reducing bureaucratic delays in appointing and placing doctors.

He assured that several doctors are undergoing specialist training, which will eventually lead them to become fully recognized specialists. The ministry aims to bolster the specialist pipeline before the centre opens. Sabah's limited specialist services, with only one cardiologist serving the state at the National Heart Institute (IJN) Sabah, necessitate the strengthening of this pipeline.

The Health Minister also announced the opening of 607 new positions in Sabah as of August 1, including 355 management and professional posts, with 77 specialist positions and 203 medical, dental, and pharmacy officers. Furthermore, the ministry has set a goal for Sabah's annual health allocation to rise by five per cent, with the allocation expected to reach RM4 billion by 2030.

These initiatives are part of ongoing discussions between the Federal and Sabah governments regarding healthcare-related claims under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), with five subcommittees examining matters such as health autonomy, powers, authority, legal rights, overlapping jurisdictions, staffing, training, facilities, and regulation.