KUCHING: The strong culture of integrity at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), which manages an annual allocation of over RM800 million without corruption issues, should serve as a benchmark for other public sector agencies, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said despite facing high work pressure and resource constraint, SGH has rarely been associated with abuse of power involving doctors or nurses.
“Have we ever heard of doctors asking for payment to cut queues? No. The same goes for nurses; there are no such issues.
“This is something we should study…how a system managing large funds can remain clean,” he said at the Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) Integrity Day celebration today.
Dr Sim attributed this strength to the values of integrity instilled through professional training, as well as the trust-based relationship between healthcare providers and patients.
He noted that while patients in private hospitals are often willing to wait longer and pay more for services, such practices are not observed in the public healthcare system.
“This shows that values and ethics play a significant role,” he added.
At the same time, he highlighted that SGH’s achievements extend beyond service delivery, noting that it has been recognised as one of Malaysia’s leading research hospitals.
He said the accomplishment is even more significant given that SGH operates with about 1,000 fewer staff compared to similar hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Despite the manpower shortage, they are still able to produce world-class research, including ‘first-in-human’ studies that were selected as the only ones in the Asia Pacific,” he said.
Dr Sim also expressed appreciation to civil servants for their dedication to building a competitive Sarawak, stressing that strengthening integrity remains a fundamental pillar for sustainable and respected state development.
