KOTA KINABALU: Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib has proposed that rural doctor allowances in Sabah and Sarawak be exempted from the current federal freeze.
He said the proposal would be brought up with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad during a scheduled meeting on Thursday.
James warned that the freeze could discourage contract doctors from renewing their service in remote areas, worsening the rural doctor shortage in Sabah.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Speaking at the 17th Public Health Colloquium on Wednesday, he also highlighted ongoing basic facility issues in rural Sabah, including poor internet access, water supply, and electricity.
He further urged the Health Ministry to strengthen regulations on e-cigarettes, noting concerns over the use of banned substances in some products.
