By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 1: Sarawak currently has a total of 4,600 doctors serving across the State, but the majority of them are not native to Sarawak.
In a news report by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian revealed that of the total, 4,000 doctors are employed under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), while 600 are working in the private sector.
“We only have 4,600 doctors in Sarawak, with 4,000 under MOH and 659 in the private sector, based on the latest statistics.
“These private doctors are not just in clinics but also in private hospitals,” he said during the launch of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Sarawak and Society of Private Medical Practitioners Sarawak (SPMPS) Office at The Podium today.
Dr Sim emphasised that the issue of the shortage of local doctors must be addressed seriously, particularly as the majority of doctors in Sarawak are not originally from Sarawak.
“Although the number of doctors is relatively small, with only 4,000, the majority are not from Sarawak. This is why we need to tackle this issue,” he stated.
He further urged efforts to be intensified to produce more local doctors, ensuring that the healthcare needs of the people of Sarawak are met more effectively in the future.
Also present were MMA president Dato Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, MMA Sarawak chairman Dr Ong Eng-Joe, SPMPS president Dr Liew Shan Fap, and Kenyalang Medical Foundation chairman Dr Mahadhir Alhady Sulaiman. — DayakDaily
