Sabah doctors shortage reaches 'breaking point', says MMA

KOTA KINABALU: The shortage of medical doctors in Sabah is reaching a "breaking point", according to the Sabah Malaysian Medical Association (Sabah MMA).

Its chairman Dr Brandon Patrick Senagang said the majority of hospitals were losing medical officers, with only 47 of 138 medical officers from outside Sabah expected to report for hospital postings having done so when the figures were compiled.

"Based on information available to Sabah MMA involving hospital postings, 138 medical officers from outside Sabah were expected to report to hospitals across the state.

"But only 47 had reported for duty at the time the information was compiled — approximately 34 per cent.

"These figures involve hospital postings only and do not include doctors assigned to district health offices or government health clinics, for which Sabah MMA does not have comparable figures," he said in a statement.

Dr Brandon said the shortage meant existing medical officers were required to take calls every other day as there were too few doctors to maintain the roster.

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"This is not sustainable. We cannot solve a manpower shortage by continuously asking the doctors who remain to work more.

"Every doctor who leaves without adequate replacement increases the workload, frequency of calls and responsibility carried by colleagues who remain.

"This risks creating a vicious cycle of understaffing, exhaustion, burnout and further attrition."

He added that patients would bear the consequences through longer waits, delays in treatment and reduced capacity to maintain services safely.

"Sabah MMA fully supports and echoes the call by MMA president Dr Sivanaesan Letchumanan for urgent measures to strengthen incentives, improve working and living conditions, and address the growing difficulty in attracting and retaining doctors in Sabah and Sarawak."