Only six of 850 S'wkian healthcare workers in West Malaysia transferred home in six months, says Dr Sim

KUCHING (Aug 9): Only six out of 850 Sarawakian healthcare workers in West Malaysia waiting to be transferred back to their home state have successfully returned over the past six months, Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian revealed today.

Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak’s Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG), said manpower remains the immediate challenge as Sarawak pushes for greater health autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“The immediate issue is manpower, including medical officers and nurses. Even at the last meeting, we informed them there are 850 Sarawakian nurses in West Malaysia, with their names and other details, who want to come back.

“So far, after six months, only six have been transferred back. That’s not good,” he told reporters after officiating the launch of the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) Batu Kawah here today.

Dr Sim was asked about the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) recent mandate requiring contract medical officers appointed to permanent positions to select at least one placement option in Sabah or Sarawak through the e-Placement 2.0 system.

He was asked whether this move, aimed at addressing the uneven distribution of healthcare personnel between Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states, would help resolve the doctor shortage.

Dr Sim stressed that Sarawakians, or “Anak Sarawak” with the ‘K’ designation, are entitled to return and serve in their home state, and that the government wants them back.

He attributed the slow progress mainly to administrative challenges and said these issues need to be addressed under the terms of MA63 as part of ongoing negotiations for health autonomy.

Dr Sim also said his ministry will meet with the Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia next Monday (Aug 11) to discuss progress.

“We will talk more about medical registration and related matters. They have made some progress, but we don’t want to say anything now.

“We have received some good news, but we must keep track of issues like the 850 nurses wanting to return to Sarawak. We have already submitted their names, yet only six have managed to come back. There have been all sorts of excuses. I will bring this up in the meeting with them,” he added.