By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 12: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian has pointed out that even with the federal government’s RM46.5 billion allocation for healthcare, it remains insufficient to meet the nation’s growing demands.
The Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government noted that under Budget 2026, healthcare receives the second largest allocation after education, which is RM66.2 billion.
“Even though the federal government gives us RM46.5 billion budget for healthcare—the second largest after education—it’s still not enough.
“Why not enough? Ageing population, cost of medicine going up,” he said when speaking at the ‘Together for Health: A Community Health Carnival’ held at Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) headquarters here this morning.
He further said the rising cost of medicine, driven by global market pressures, has worsened the burden on healthcare financing.
“United States (US) President Donald Trump imposes a 15 per cent tariff on healthcare products.
“Today he says 10 per cent, tomorrow it could be 100 per cent, after that 15 per cent—we don’t know. But it’s very expensive,” he said, referring to the unpredictability of global healthcare costs influenced by such policies.
He also illustrated the scale of the challenge by comparing the RM46.5 billion healthcare allocation to property values in Sarawak, saying the amount was equivalent to the cost of buying up all the shophouses across major towns like Kuching, Sibu and Miri, yet still not enough to meet the nation’s healthcare needs.
He added that in Sarawak alone, RM17 billion is needed to address dilapidated clinics and hospitals.
On top of that, the Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Sarawak government, has identified the need to create 11,000 new posts after visiting seven hospitals, a move driven by the expansion of facilities such as the Sarawak Heart Centre and the ongoing shortage of medical staff.
Dr Sim noted that the additional positions would involve substantial financial implications, saying even at the minimum wage level, the salaries alone would amount to millions annually.
“This is why I keep saying healthcare is very expensive and it’s not just the government’s responsibility,” he stressed.
The ‘Together for Health: A Community Health Carnival’ was jointly organised by SUPP Kuching Branch, Timberland Medical Centre and the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) of Jalan Rock/Bampfylde Kuching.
The event aimed to raise community health awareness and offered 23 types of free health screenings and consultations, ranging from basic checks such as blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol, to specialised assessments including breast, endocrine, HPV, bone density and skin tests.
Also present were Temenggong Dato Tan Joo Phoi, SUPP Kuching Branch Youth chairman Nicholas Wung Duk Ying who is the event’s organising chairman and Timberland Medical Centre Kuching’s Senior Manager for Support Service Tony Ngu. – DayakDaily
