‘Not just Kota Kinabalu’: MOH targets Sandakan, Tawau clusters in Sabah specialist expansion

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 5 - The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to expand specialist services in Sabah, targeting clusters in Sandakan and Tawau, to reduce the shortage of specialists in the state. Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad revealed this in a Facebook post, stating that the effort aligns with the ministry's plan to bring specialist expertise to rural areas in Sabah. The three to five-year target is to match Kota Kinabalu’s level of specialist services, including cardiothoracic services.

The MOH aims to bridge the expertise gap by empowering Sandakan and Tawau Clusters, offering permanent employment to MOH Training Institute graduates, a 15% salary increase, and additional allowances. Immediate actions include upgrading staff quarters in Lahad Datu, Beaufort, and Kota Marudu. Furthermore, the MOH is broadening the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme to address congestion in public hospital facilities.

This expansion targets 15 critical services, such as dialysis, diagnostic scans, and surgical missions, aiming to cut waiting times. The initiative collaborates with Hospital Universiti Malaysia Sabah (HUMS) to optimize medical capacity.

Dr Dzulkefly also unveiled 53 health development projects worth RM1.56 billion under the 13th Malaysia Plan, along with RM75.5 million for repairing 132 clinics and RM1 billion for electronic medical records. The Ministry of Health aims to achieve its digital integration goal of 'One Individual, One Record' by 1Q2027, earlier than initially planned for 2045.