SIBU: The proposal to upgrade two government hospitals, namely the Sibu and Miri hospitals, to regional hospitals is part of the Sarawak government’s agenda under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Deputy Minister of Health Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that the government will present the proposal to the Ministry of Health (MoH) through the MA63 Committee.
The move is to provide better services to the people in the northern and central zones of the state.
“The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) needs to assess the ‘wish list’ desired of the Sarawak government,” he said when met by reporters after his working visit to Sibu Hospital here yesterday (July 20).
On the staff shortage at Sibu Hospital, the Sibuti MP said the issue would be looked into and additional staff would be sent to the hospital, especially specialists.
“It is certainly the desire of every hospital to enhance service capacity, especially in terms of expertise. We are waiting for the arrival of new doctors who will be placed here, either after their contract ends or they are appointed permanently.
“New doctors are expected to arrive by July 31. We will identify any deficiencies or excesses in terms of staff appointments,” he assured.
Lukanisman also said MoH recognises a requirement for more nurses Sibu Hosiptal, adding that the ministry is aware of the limited supply of nurses in Malaysia.
“We are currently in the process of training more nurses to meet future demands,” he said.
Also present were Sibu divisional health officer Dr Teh Ho Jun and Sibu Hospital director Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu.
