RANAU: Ranau Hospital is facing a serious staffing crisis, with only eight doctors reportedly available to serve despite 16 approved medical officer positions, Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (PKAN) President and former Kinabalu MP Datuk Henrynus Amin said.
He said the discrepancy between official staffing records and the actual number of doctors on duty raised serious concerns about patient safety and healthcare workers’ welfare.
“On paper, bureaucrats see a fully staffed hospital. In reality, eight exhausted doctors are carrying the load of 16,” he said.
Henrynus said some positions were tied up by officers on full-pay study leave or transfers, without replacement appointments.
“This is not just mismanagement — it is a recipe for disaster that endangers both our healthcare workers and every patient in Ranau,” he said.
He also highlighted concerns over staff welfare, claiming doctors working extended shifts lacked proper air-conditioned rest rooms and a functioning canteen to obtain meals during long duties.
Henrynus urged the Ministry of Health and Sabah State Health Department to take four immediate measures to address the situation.
These include publicly verifying the actual staffing levels, deploying an emergency medical relief team to ease the workload, improving rest facilities and food access, and ensuring doctors on extended leave are automatically replaced.
He said accurate staffing records must reflect the number of doctors actually available to serve, rather than merely the number of approved positions.
“Our doctors didn’t sign up to be worked into the ground,” he said.
“Ranau deserves better than a hospital that functions only on paper. The Health Ministry must step in now — before something gives way completely.”