Govt to place resident specialists in Sabah hospitals, says Dzulkefly

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced measures to address the shortage of specialists in Sabah's hospitals. The government will place resident specialists in several hospitals in towns like Kota Marudu and Beaufort, as reported by Bernama. This initiative complements the Ministry's plan to transfer specialist rotations to rural areas in Sabah.

By 2025, the Ministry aims to match the expertise level of Kota Kinabalu in Sandakan and Tawau Clusters, including cardiothoracic services. Sabahan health ministry graduates are now being permanently absorbed into the autonomous authority, receiving a 15% salary adjustment, a Full Transfer Allowance for officers changing to permanent status, and a review of ETAP (on-call) incentives.

Additionally, the government will upgrade staff quarters in Lahad Datu, Beaufort, and Kota Marudu through a collaboration between federal and state governments. The Ministry has also expanded the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme to the private sector, targeting 15 critical services such as dialysis treatment, diagnostic scans, and surgical missions.

This measure, in collaboration with Hospital Universiti Malaysia Sabah (HUMS), aims to optimize every available medical facility in Sabah. The Ministry is also working on 53 health development projects worth RM1.56 billion under the 13th Malaysia Plan, including RM75.5 million for repairing 132 dilapidated clinics and RM1 billion for implementing electronic medical records.