Sabah, Sarawak hospitals face severe MO shortages as doctors fail to report for posts

Hospitals in Sabah and Sarawak are experiencing severe doctor shortages due to a large number of newly appointed medical officers failing to report for their assigned positions. While the Ministry of Health has not released official statistics, social media sources suggest that the problem is widespread. Kanowit Hospital in Sarawak is particularly affected, with only three doctors remaining to manage the entire facility.

Miri Hospital, with 35 medical officers reporting for permanent positions, saw a significant drop in the pediatric department, receiving only two new medical officers this month. In July, the Health Minister announced that 4,500 contract medical officers had been offered permanent appointments, but the reporting rate among these new doctors has been low.

In Sabah, out of 138 scheduled medical officers, only 47 have reported for duty. Keningau Hospital, for example, received no new medical officers on Monday, leaving only six doctors to manage all aspects of the hospital, including emergency services and outpatient care. Beluran Hospital, which had expected five to six new placements, currently operates with only six doctors.

Sipitang Hospital is also struggling, with only eight medical officers left to run the facility. The Kudat Division Health Office allocated 17 permanent postings but only four doctors reported for duty. Ranau Hospital, which had six medical officers, lost three doctors who rejected permanent offers, leaving only one doctor to report for duty on Monday.