By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 26: Sarawak must tackle the growing challenge of healthcare talent migration to ensure that investments in training, specialist development and workforce capacity continue to benefit the state.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said retaining trained healthcare professionals should be a key priority as Sarawak strengthens its healthcare system and expands specialist services.
He stressed that healthcare education should not only equip professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills, but also instil a sense of commitment and responsibility to serve the communities that invested in their development.
“We train many healthcare professionals, but in the end they leave. That is the challenge we are facing today.
“We invest heavily in training people, only for them to migrate elsewhere. Some even argue that if we do not train them, at least they will not leave. But that is not the solution,” he said when addressing the Borneo Health Scientific Conference today, as reported by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas).
Dr Sim said healthcare workforce development must be approached holistically, with equal emphasis on specialist training, manpower development, research and innovation, as well as the adoption of technology to improve healthcare delivery and accessibility.
“What matters most is the quality of healthcare and how effectively services can be delivered to the people.
“Achieving this requires collaboration between the government, public and private healthcare sectors, universities, researchers, industry players, healthcare professionals and experts from various disciplines,” he said.
Dr Sim said stronger partnerships among stakeholders are essential to generate innovative solutions to emerging healthcare challenges while ensuring that locally developed expertise is fully utilised within Sarawak’s healthcare system.
He added that the strength of a healthcare system should not be measured solely by the number of hospitals, clinics or facilities it possesses, but by the health outcomes achieved and the benefits delivered to patients.
Touching on neuroscience, Dr Sim said the rising prevalence of stroke and dementia has underscored the growing importance of the field, particularly in advancing early diagnosis, improving treatment outcomes and enhancing rehabilitation services.
The Borneo Health Scientific Conference brought together about 200 healthcare professionals, medical practitioners, researchers, academics and industry representatives from Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, Kalimantan and other parts of the region to discuss emerging healthcare challenges and opportunities for collaboration. — DayakDaily
