Senator moots 11 ways to strengthen healthcare workforce in Sabah, Sarawak

The government has been urged to introduce 11 immediate measures to attract and retain doctors and other healthcare professionals in Sabah and Sarawak.

Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said the measures should include clearer career pathways, improved financial incentives, better accommodation and support for healthcare workers posted to rural and remote areas.

“This is not simply about compelling doctors to report for duty. It is about making service in Sabah and Sarawak fairer, more attractive and sustainable for healthcare professionals,” he said.

Lingeshwaran, a former director of Sungai Bakap Hospital in Penang, said doctors posted to Sabah and Sarawak should have a standard 24-month service period, after which they should have a clear pathway to apply for transfers, pursue specialist training or choose their next placement.

Doctors who complete the required service period with satisfactory performance should also be given priority to apply for specialist training, including master’s programmes and health ministry specialist training pathways, he said in a statement.

Lingeshwaran also called for the regional incentive payment for newly appointed officers posted to Sabah and Sarawak to be reviewed and restored based on a percentage of salary instead of a fixed rate. He said the incentive should take into account the cost of living, geographical distance and challenges of working in East Malaysia.

For those serving in rural and remote areas, he proposed a hardship allowance of at least RM1,000 a month, with higher rates for extremely remote locations.

He also called for healthcare workers to be given safe and suitable accommodation before reporting for duty, including basic facilities such as water, electricity, internet access, security and maintenance. Where government quarters are unavailable, housing allowances should reflect actual rental rates in the respective areas, he said.

He said newly posted doctors should also receive advance payments for approved relocation costs, including air tickets, excess baggage and transportation, rather than having to pay thousands of ringgit upfront and wait for reimbursement.

The government should also provide return airfares to Peninsular Malaysia every six months for officers serving a 24-month period, subject to terms and conditions, he said.

He said doctors who remain beyond the initial 24-month period should also be eligible for retention incentives.

However, Lingeshwaran stressed that financial incentives alone would not solve the shortage.

He called on the health ministry to ensure reasonable doctor-patient ratios, manageable on-call duties, adequate replacement staff during leave and sufficient staffing at healthcare facilities.

Family support should include assistance with school placements, healthcare, transportation, accommodation and other essential needs, he said.

Lingeshwaran said the measures should apply not only to doctors but to nurses, pharmacists, dental officers, allied health professionals and other critical healthcare workers as well.

The health ministry last week approved claims for relocation allowances from medical officers transferred to Sabah and Sarawak following reports that some had not reported for duty as their claims were rejected.

The Malaysian Medical Association previously urged the government to review incentives for doctors posted in East Malaysia, after it was reported that more than 70% of medical officers assigned to permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak failed to report for duty on Sept 28.

The health ministry clarified that the placement process began on Sept 28 and was ongoing, with the 4,255 medical officers who received offers based on the ePlacement portal given until Oct 7 to report for duty at their assigned facilities.

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