KUCHING: Sarawak is seeking a special recruitment exercise to fill 5,654 vacant posts in the state Health Department as part of efforts to address a severe shortage of healthcare manpower.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the vacancies accounted for about 18 per cent of the department’s total workforce and had contributed to an overburdened workforce.
He raised the issue during the fourth annual meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), co chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at the Sabah International Convention Centre here yesterday (Sept 11).
Dr Sim said a medium term strategy was also needed to create 11,000 posts across various categories to meet Health Ministry staffing norms and standards.
He said the proposal followed an audit by the Health Ministry and Public Service Department involving seven hospitals in Sarawak last year.
“There is no reason for Sarawak to be substandard in manpower,” he said in a Facebook post today (Sept 12) after the meeting.
Dr Sim also highlighted three areas concerning Sarawak’s health autonomy during the meeting, namely regulatory functions, human resources and infrastructure resources.
On regulatory functions, he called for greater decentralisation of regulatory powers to the Sarawak Health Department, in line with provisions allowing such delegation under the Federal Constitution.
He specifically highlighted the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, or Act 586, which he said remained an important issue for Sarawak’s health autonomy.
On infrastructure, Dr Sim called for allocations and strategies involving RM310 million to upgrade dilapidated health clinics and RM8.45 billion for their redevelopment in Sarawak.
He said 160 of the state’s 271 health clinics, or 66 per cent, were classified as dilapidated.
“There is no reason why Sarawak should have more dilapidated health clinics compared with the rest of Malaysia,” he said.
Dr Sim said the health issue was among the more complex matters under MA63, involving 41 laws, while some other outstanding matters would require constitutional amendments involving the Cabinet, Parliament and, in certain cases, the Conference of Rulers.
According to him, 24 MA63 issues involving Sabah and Sarawak had been categorised as 13 resolved, five partially resolved or under interim arrangements, two agreed in principle but not yet completed, and four still unresolved.
For Sarawak, he said 10 issues had been resolved, five partially resolved or under interim arrangements, two agreed in principle but not completed, and four remained under negotiation.
Dr Sim said the resolved issues were achieved through lengthy discussions, while the remaining matters would be more challenging.
He also stressed that the spirit of MA63, together with the findings of the Cobbold Commission and the Inter Governmental Committee Report, should be taken into account when interpreting the Constitution and laws relating to MA63.
“MA63 is a journey. We shall move forward with courage, wisdom and the spirit of our founding fathers,” he said.
