Kota Kinabalu: Budget 2027’s offer of permanent posts to contract doctors and measures to strengthen public healthcare facilities have been welcomed as steps towards easing hospital congestion and expanding services to Sabah’s rural communities, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah Health Bureau chairman Dr Davina Datuk Markus (pic).
She said more than 4,000 contract doctors would be offered permanent positions this year, with another 9,000 expected to receive offers next year, while medical officers completing their housemanship would be offered permanent posts from next year.
Dr Davina, who had undergone medical training herself, said the move would give young doctors greater career certainty after years of study, training and service, while potentially improving treatment times, reducing hospital congestion and enhancing ward facilities.
She also welcomed the increase in incentives for air health service personnel from RM30 to RM100, noting that the service was important for Sabah’s rural communities, where residents often travelled long distances to obtain medical treatment, as well as early health screening assistance to detect conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
She said expanded individual tax reliefs, including for postnatal care, care centres for parents and grandparents, sports shoes, and certain vaccination and pet-related expenses, could help families manage their spending, adding that the initiatives must be implemented effectively to benefit the public, including those in Sabah’s interior.
