Bukit Assek rep urges Putrajaya to decentralise healthcare
A Sarawak assemblyperson has called on the government to decentralise healthcare for better distribution of specialists in the state.
Bukit Assek assemblyperson Irene Mary Chang Oi Ling claimed that decentralisation would allow the state health department to have the autonomy to decide on the stationing of specialists and senior health staff in any hospitals in Sarawak.
At present, the distribution of specialists in Sarawak...
A Sarawak assemblyperson has called on the government to decentralise healthcare for better distribution of specialists in the state.
Bukit Assek assemblyperson Irene Mary Chang Oi Ling claimed that decentralisation would allow the state health department to have the autonomy to decide on the stationing of specialists and senior health staff in any hospitals in Sarawak.
At present, the distribution of specialists in Sarawak is conducted by the Health Ministry in Putrajaya.
“The state health department should also have the autonomy to decide on the promotion of these specialists and on how funds received should be allocated equitably throughout the state.
“It is expected that the state health department should have a better picture of the true needs of each hospital in Sarawak and thus would be able to address and resolve those needs equitably,” said Chang.
Her statement follows a report on Sept 17 about the shortage of medical specialists in Sarawak.
Deputy Health Minister Aaron Ago Dagang had reportedly said that Sarawak needed 1,800 specialist doctors to serve in the state, on top of the existing 532 serving in various government hospitals across the state.
Chang also raised the issue of decentralisation of specialists within Sarawak itself.
According to the DAP lawmaker, major hospitals in Sibu, Miri and Bintulu have suffered greatly from the lack of specialist care for over 50 years, while Kuching currently benefits from more than 50 percent of the 532 specialists serving in the city alone.
“In Sibu, the hospital is supposed to be one of the major specialist hospitals in Sarawak.
"Yet, up until today, Sibu Hospital still does not even have basic sub-specialists' care from the likes of nephrologists, neonatologists and infectious disease physicians," said Chang.
“Despite the escalating needs of the people, we still do not have any oncologist and cardiologist to serve the people in the central region of Sarawak.
“People in Sibu and those from the central region still need to fly to seek medical treatments or to wait painfully for care by visiting sub-specialists.
“On the whole, it is not disputed that Sarawak has about 1.5 times fewer doctors per population than nationwide.
"However, this ratio is even higher for those from outside of Kuching,” she said.
Chang said the state government can encourage specialists to look beyond serving just the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.
"(This can be done) by stepping up economic and commercial development of other divisions in the state rather than concentrating on Kuching."
She pointed out that as these problems had been around for years and raised numerous times, and hence it was unacceptable that the Health Ministry should still be stuck at the discussion stage with “no solution in sight”.
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