This Content Is Only For Subscribers
KUCHING, Aug 4: Have Peninsular Malaysians enjoyed better healthcare at Sarawak and Sabah’s expense for the last 60 years?
Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said after 60 years since the formation of Malaysia, East Malaysians and West Malaysians still cannot see eye-to-eye.
He was referring to the recent article of an online portal entitled ‘Borneo gains at Klang Valley’s expense in permanent doctors’ placements‘ which exerts that in permanent medical officers’ (MOs) placements, Sabah and Sarawak collectively gain 1,070 MOs, but Klang Valley loses net 360 MOs while five other hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia lose about 80 to 120 each.
“Or, if we put it in the vein of this article headline, could it be said that it has been beneficial for the rest of Malaysia at the expense of Sabah and Sarawak for the past 60 years (with little notice from those who benefitted)? But now, with some efforts going the other way to make things right, it’s suddenly ‘unfair’?” Dr Sim questioned in a statement today.
Dr Sim, who is also Deputy Premier, said the criteria of the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s resource distribution in the past decades, which is based mainly on population, is not a suitable assessment model to apply to Sarawak due to the State’s difference in contexts of geographical size, characteristics, accessibility and population spread.
“The doctors-patient ratio in Sarawak in 2019 was one doctor to 682 people, whereas in West Malaysia in 2019, it was one doctor to 454 people. (Sarawak) Not only (got) less doctors but (it was) made worse by further distances for a Sarawakian to reach a doctor.
“Since it is considered a headache or ‘unfair’ for West Malaysia, please support Sarawak Healthcare Autonomy. Let us take away your headache or unfairness,” said Dr Sim.
He said he has been in touch with the director-general of the Health Ministry, Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, on the issue of 200 doctors refusing to serve in Sarawak.
“Perhaps for those whose hearts are not to serve the calling of the medical profession, (who are) unwilling to come to Sarawak, their permanent posts should be offered to those who are already serving in Sarawak, or to Sarawakians who are still waiting for permanent posts or coming home to serve in Sarawak,” said Dr Sim. — DayakDaily
