KOTA KINABALU: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said human resources remain his greatest legacy problem, as Sabah has only one cardiothoracic surgeon for the entire State.
“I can solve any other problem by way of health financing, by way of digitalisation, but human capital, I look to my Ministry’s Secretary-General,” he told a media conference here, Monday.
He was responding to a question on what was being planned to bring in more specialists, especially cardiothoracic surgeons, not just general doctors, to Sabah.
He said Sabah had previously faced a case in which a returning cardiothoracic surgeon was unable to register with the National Specialist Register, an issue he said had since been resolved.
He said several more specialists were currently in the pipeline undergoing training and will go through supervised work experience before being gazetted as full specialists.
“We will make sure Sabah’s Heart Centre will be able to increase the number of cardiothoracic surgeons we have,” he said.
Additionally, he said the RM125 million Sabah Heart Centre is expected to begin construction in 2027 and become operational by 2029.
“The project falls under the first rolling plan of the 13th Malaysia Plan for 2026 and covers building upgrading works, equipment procurement and related preliminary works,” he said, adding that the Ministry is in the process of procuring material testing works for the project, expected to be completed by August 2026.
He said a value management lab for the project was expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2027, saying it was part of the preliminary works within the project scope.
He said the Economy Ministry had made the Heart Centre a top priority this year, placing it ahead of other projects.
“We have got to put this as the top priority, ahead of other projects, so it is very important that we get this,” he said.
Asked when construction would begin and be completed, Dzulkefly said he hoped work could start in the third quarter of 2027.
“I think that would be a reasonable timeline,” he said, pointing out that if there were no delays, the centre would take 24 months to complete, putting operational readiness at the third quarter of 2029.
Responding to concerns over limited space for the Heart Centre at Hospital Queen Elizabeth II, where it will be located, Dzulkefly said the RM125 million allocation covers preliminary works and renovation for the entire project.
“I think the space is sufficient,” he said, adding that the design would go vertical to accommodate the facility and that the Value Management Lab process was already underway to determine this.
He said any additional requirements, including certificates of completion and compliance, would be addressed at a later stage.
“Do not worry, for now the RM125 million would be sufficient to cover the entire project,” he said, adding that the Ministry was good with the sum for now.