Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Vice President Datuk Junz Wong has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a worsening healthcare crisis in Sabah, following the revelation that nearly 600 medical officers had appealed to opt out of postings to Sabah and Sarawak.
He was responding to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, who last week disclosed that although 650 permanent positions were offered, the majority of doctors had applied to be released from their assignments to East Malaysia.
“This is no longer just about staffing. It’s a matter of life and death for Sabahans,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
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');});He questioned why so many medical officers were refusing to serve in Sabah, pointing to possible causes such as poor hospital conditions, lack of medical equipment, overwhelming workloads and logistical difficulties in rural postings.
“The Ministry of Health must come clean and provide a full report. Sabahans deserve to know the truth and more importantly, they deserve urgent action,” he said.
Junz warned that failure to act swiftly could cripple the state’s already overstretched healthcare system, particularly in rural and interior districts where access to services remains limited.
“Sabah has long been left behind in terms of healthcare development.
“Many of our hospitals and clinics are lacking in infrastructure, equipment and specialists.
“Meanwhile, facilities in the Klang Valley are fully equipped and staffed,” he said.
He emphasised that during Warisan’s time in government, the State had created its own Ministry of Health to address these issues directly, a move he said was aimed at building homegrown talent and improving access across Sabah.
“That ministry was scrapped by the GRS-PH government, a short-sighted and irresponsible decision,” he said.
Junz pledged that Warisan would reinstate the Sabah Health Ministry if it returns to power, adding that the state must take back control of its healthcare future.
“Sabahans are Malaysians too. If Putrajaya can’t fix this crisis, Warisan is ready to step in and do the job,” he said.
