KUCHING, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Sarawak is hoping that the recently tabled Federal Budget 2027 will channel a substantial allocation to alleviate the state's healthcare needs, said its Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government said Sarawak is seeking fair treatment from the federal government to overcome years of under-funding and resource constraints affecting medical frontliners.
“Our Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) has announced a total amount of RM47.7 billion for national healthcare in the Malaysia Budget 2027 and we are hopeful that a substantial amount would be allocated to Sarawak to alleviate the healthcare facilities and needs here.
“We are not asking our facilities or human resources to be better than West Malaysia but just to catch up to West Malaysia so that Sarawakians can enjoy the same health facilities and healthcare human resources standards,” he said.
He said this when winding up the debate for his ministry at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting here, today.
Dr Sim said during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) meeting in Kota Kinabalu in September, he had asked the Prime Minister to allow Sarawak to have special recruitment to fill 5,654 vacant posts or 18 per cent of the total workforce under the Sarawak Health Department.
“Not to mention for the creation of 11,000 post (various categories) in order to be consistent with MOH norms and standard of staffing after MOH/JPA audited seven hospitals in Sarawak last year,” he said.
-- BERNAMA