KUCHING: Sarawak is prioritising the recruitment of doctors and nurses to address the state’s healthcare manpower shortage, rather than focusing solely on building new hospitals, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
While hospital construction remains important, Dr Sim said the more pressing need is to strengthen the state’s healthcare workforce to ensure faster and more efficient medical services for the people.
“Depending on how we negotiate with the federal government on health autonomy, we realise that we need to put in money.
“But the most important immediate priority is to employ doctors and nurses. To build a hospital takes five years — and even then, you still have to wait another five years before it’s fully operational,” he told reporters when asked about his expectation for the 2026 Sarawak Budget.
The 2026 Sarawak Budget is expected to be tabled during the 19th Sarawak State Assembly, starting from Nov 24 until Dec 3.
Dr Sim pointed out that hiring more medical professionals would bring quicker benefits to the public.
“If we can employ doctors and nurses now, instead of patients waiting three hours, they might only need to wait one hour,” he said.
He also highlighted that purchasing or constructing hospitals without adequate staffing would be futile.
“We can buy hospitals, yes — but if there are no doctors or nurses, what are we going to do? Right now, we are short of both, and that’s what we must tackle first,” he added.
On another note, Dr Sim said local councils continue to rely on state government assistance as assessment rates have not been revised since the 1970s.
“Council rates in other states like Perak and Selangor have already increased, but we’re still using 1970s rates,” he said.
He expressed appreciation for the Premier’s continuous support in channeling funds for local development and expressed confidence that the government would continue to prioritise both rural and urban needs.
“We want rural areas to catch up with urban development, but at the same time, the cities also face issues like flash floods that need to be addressed,” Dr Sim said.
