Slow response in addressing S’wak’s medical staff shortage puts patients’ lives at risk, says Sri Aman MP

KUCHING (Jan 22): The prolonged shortage of medical personnel in Sarawak is no longer merely a question of limited resources but reflects a lack of priority, said Sri Aman MP Dato Sri Doris Sophia Brodie.

Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat, Doris said the slow response to long-standing manpower gaps has reached a critical stage, with real consequences for patients’ lives.

“The most worrying issue in the national healthcare system, especially in Sarawak, is the persistent shortage of medical personnel.

“The lack of doctors, specialists and nurses is no longer an issue of numbers, but a matter of life and death,” she said.

Doris noted that the concern had been repeatedly raised by Sarawakians, including recently in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, but stressed that as healthcare falls under federal jurisdiction, the matter had to be urgently addressed at the national level.

She highlighted that Sarawak is currently facing a shortage of 1,817 medical officers, 246 specialists, as well as about 2,300 nurses.

“This is not a new issue but the response remains slow, raising the question of whether this problem stems from a lack of resources or a lack of priority,” she said.

Doris also highlighted severe imbalances in the distribution of medical personnel, particularly in rural areas, where some clinics have no doctors at all or only one doctor serving up to 2,000 residents.

More concerning, she said, was the high no-show rate among doctors assigned to Sarawak.

“More than half of the doctors posted to Sarawak do not report for duty. This raises serious questions about monitoring and accountability within the system,” she said.

According to Doris, many medical officers and specialists are leaving the public sector for private practice or overseas due to uncompetitive salaries, excessive workloads, limited career progression and proposals to cut regional allowances.

“These allowances are the backbone of efforts to retain healthcare workers in rural and interior areas,” she said.

She added that major hospitals, including Sarawak General Hospital and the Sarawak Heart Centre, are operating beyond capacity, while some wards remain closed due to staff shortages.

At the same time, she said many rural clinics are in a dilapidated state, with some lacking 24-hour electricity supply, treated water and stable internet connectivity.

“As a result, many cancer patients are only diagnosed at a late stage, with long waiting periods for treatment, and some die while waiting. This is a crisis,” she said.

Doris questioned why recruitment and placement of medical personnel remained slow despite the urgent need, and called for immediate action.

She urged the federal government to grant greater autonomy to Sarawak in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), introduce realistic rural incentives, enforce stricter monitoring of postings, and accelerate the upgrading of healthcare facilities.

“Immediate action must be taken. I seek the response and commitment of the ministry on this matter,” she said.