KUCHING: Sarawak had 5,844 vacant healthcare posts as of June this year, including more than 1,200 positions each for medical officers and nurses.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the shortage meant doctors and nurses in the state had to shoulder about 20 per cent more work to cover the vacancies.
Of the 31,517 posts under the Sarawak Health Department, he said 18.5 per cent remained unfilled.
“The vacancies include 1,257 medical officer posts (21.5 per cent) and 1,224 nursing posts (20.9 per cent),” he said in a Facebook post following the Technical Committee meeting under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) in Putrajaya on Monday (Aug 3).
Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, said a 2025 Ministry of Health (MoH) manpower audit also found that another 11,000 posts were needed for doctors, nurses, paramedics, allied health workers and support staff.
However, he said the audit covered only seven hospitals in Sarawak, while another 21 hospitals and 259 clinics have yet to be assessed.
As such, he said Sarawak would continue pursuing healthcare autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“While healthcare has been categorised as partially resolved under MA63, much remains to be done before Sarawak achieves healthcare autonomy.
“We are seeking the decentralisation of statutory and executive functions to Sarawak.
“Statutory functions include matters such as the Sarawak Medical Committee and the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
“Executive functions involve transferring powers to plan, build, staff, maintain and upgrade hospitals, clinics, public healthcare facilities, laboratories and training institutions for doctors and nurses, together with the necessary funding.”
Dr Sim also said Sarawak needed RM16 billion to address dilapidated hospitals and clinics across the state.
“By 2030, as our population ages, we need to do more than simply catch up in replacing dilapidated healthcare facilities.
“We will continue pursuing these three main objectives and will not give up for as long as I remain in this position until Sarawak achieves healthcare autonomy.”
