BY AWANG MUHAMMAD SYAHMI
THE Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government recognises the significance of reinforcing human resources in the field of environmental health services.
Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government II, Michael Tiang Ming Tee highlighted the ongoing organisational restructuring efforts aimed at meeting the manpower requirements and improving the performance of the health service.
“As part of this initiative, the ministry will provide competency development training to existing environmental health officers at both the ministry and local authorities’ levels.
“This will be achieved through enhanced stakeholder engagement with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak, Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development, and higher learning institutions.”
Tiang emphasised that this interaction with subject matter experts and knowledge sharing would “further strengthen the ministry’s role in developing policy directions for public health and environmental services.”
The restructuring exercise for current health services is expected to be completed by 2024, he added.
Responding to Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang during the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Wednesday (May 17), Tiang further highlighted the Ministry of Health’s continuous efforts to enhance and create higher-grade positions for environmental health officers (PKP) through the Public Health Programme.
“The successful application for filling PKP posts in the Allied Health Sciences Division (BSKB) at Grades 44 and 48 has demonstrated progress in this regard.”
