RANAU: Sabah’s worsening difficulty in getting doctors to serve in the State could impact rural hospitals and must be urgently addressed in the coming Federal Budget, said Deputy Chief Minister II and State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
He called on the Federal Government to look seriously at incentives, doctors’ quarters, hospital facilities and shortages of nurses and other support staff.
“One of the issues hotly debated is reluctance of young doctors to be posted to Sabah,” he said, Saturday. He was speaking after officiating the second MRSM Ranau graduation ceremony.
“If we look at the statistics it is very worrying because the reluctance of young doctors from the peninsula to take up postings in Sabah will cause many rural hospitals in Sabah to be affected.
“I hope this is one issue that can be given special attention in this Budget.”Masidi said he understood that among reasons cited for the reluctance are regional allowances, cost of transporting personal belongings and having to live far from their families.
Masidi said attracting doctors to Sabah required more than financial incentives as hospital infrastructure and facilities, including doctors’ accommodation, must also be improved, while sufficient nurses and other support personnel were equally important.
He said a shortage of support services could make already demanding hospital working environments even more stressful.
“Hospitals increase, doctors increase, but the support sector may be overlooked or may not be sufficient.
“This is another area that needs attention — accommodation, support services and, thirdly, perhaps looking again at the doctors’ scheme of service so that there are more attractive incentives for them to serve longer in rural areas.”His remarks come amid growing concern over difficulties in attracting and retaining medical officers in Sabah, particularly outside major urban centres.
Masidi also said Sabah hoped the RM900 million promised to the State would be paid this year and that federal ministries with major responsibilities for Sabah’s development would receive greater allocations under the coming Budget.
MRSM Ranau has emerged as the best-performing MRSM in Sabah and Sarawak and fourth among 56 MRSMs nationwide based on examination results announced by its principal.
Masidi said the achievement was remarkable considering the institution was only recently established and Saturday’s graduation was its second.
“I am extremely proud of this achievement, not only for Sabah but particularly for Ranau,” he said, and attributed the performance to close cooperation among the school management, teachers, students and parents.
A total of 65 students graduated. He said MRSM Ranau represented a RM132 million investment in the potential and future of Sabah’s children.
Construction began in 2019 through cooperation between the Sabah Government, Mara and Petronas. The campus was handed over in 2023 before receiving its first batch of students in March 2024.
Masidi said education should be regarded as a long-term investment because roads, industries and economic development ultimately required people with knowledge, skills and integrity to sustain them.
He urged the graduates to build expertise rather than merely chase qualifications, uphold integrity, master communication, compete beyond their comfort zones and use their eventual success to benefit others.
“Go as far as you can. Achieve as high as you dream. But when you reach the top, do not forget to look back and extend a hand to those who are still on their journey,” he said.
