Sabah urged to digitize hospital information

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 6): The National Consumer Foundation is highly impressed by the forward-thinking initiative of Sarawak Premier, Datuk Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg, to digitize the hospital information system through a mobile application that allows seamless access to patients’ medical records across all hospitals.

This innovative move will significantly benefit rural communities, as they can now visit the nearest hospital without worrying about carrying their medical history or travelling long distances to specific medical facilities, said the foundation’s Sabah chairman, David Chan.

“For the rural folk, particularly those in Sarawak’s remote areas, this development represents a huge step forward in healthcare accessibility, reducing both time and cost burdens on families who previously had to travel long distances for medical care. By ensuring that hospitals can retrieve patient information digitally, the app also helps improve the continuity of care and reduces the risk of medical errors,” he said in a statement on Friday.

In contrast, he said many rural communities in Sabah continue to face transportation challenges, especially in interior regions. Poor road conditions mean that indigenous families often have to spend between RM500 to RM800 just to travel to the nearest hospital.

“This is an unnecessary burden on our rural communities, many of whom already struggle with limited access to essential healthcare services,” said Chan.

The National Consumer Foundation urges the Sabah state government, especially the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities, to take inspiration from Sarawak’s model and implement a similar digital hospital information system in the state. Such a system would help alleviate the struggles of the rural folk by allowing them to visit the closest medical facility with the assurance that their medical records are readily available, no matter where they seek care.

“We believe that adopting this technological solution will not only streamline healthcare services but also ensure that no community, however remote, is left behind in receiving quality medical care. The National Consumer Foundation stands ready to support and collaborate with the authorities to ensure that the benefits of digital healthcare systems are accessible to all Sabahans,” he said.

The Sarawak Government has approved an allocation of RM10 million to install a digital link application for all government hospitals in the state.

Abang Johari said the approval was made last week with an additional RM1 million allocated for three neurology staff of the Sarawak General Hospital to undergo specialised equipment training.

Speaking at the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) 64th Annual General Meeting dinner here on Thursday night, he said the digital link application would enable instant sharing of medical information among doctors to facilitate treatment of patients.

“This will be another important technological advancement (for Sarawak medical services),” he said.