By Nancy Nais
BAU, Sept 17: Sarawak is in dire need of at least 1,855 specialist doctors, but currently there are only about 500 of them serving in government hospitals.
Acknowledging the situation, Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the Ministry of Health (MOH) will discuss with the Federal government on how to address the issue.
“If we look at the appointment of doctors, we have enough, in fact, we have an excess of doctors. But we don’t have enough specialists and that is what we need. Most of these specialists tend to move to private hospitals after awhile because this sector needs them. Therefore, we have to plan on how to deal with this.
“Perhaps, we can consider taking in medical specialists from other countries. However, this will involve a lot of costs because these expatriates are very expensive. Their salaries and allowance are high,” Aaron said at a press conference after his working visit to Bau Hospital today.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that currently there are 14 medical officers (MO) posted in Bau Hospital although the position requires 17. — DayakDaily
