KUALA LUMPUR: A shortage of medical officers at Sri Aman Hospital, Sarawak has raised concerns over staffing levels and patient safety in the district.
Reports claimed that only six of 20 scheduled officers had turned up on Sept 28.
Sri Aman member of parliament Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi called on the Health Ministry to verify the figures and disclose how many medical officers had been offered placements, reported for duty or failed to report at hospitals and clinics in Sabah and Sarawak.
"At the Sri Aman Hospital, out of 20 scheduled medical officers, only six were reported present on September 28.
"I ask the ministry to verify this figure and state the actual number of medical officers offered placements, those who have reported for duty, and those who have not reported for duty at hospitals and clinics here," she said during the policy-stage debate on the 2027 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
She asked the ministry to outline immediate measures to address the shortage and prevent further strain on existing staff or compromise patient safety.
Separately, she also questioned the delay in approving the Sri Aman Integrated Health Complex, despite the issue having been raised repeatedly in the Dewan Rakyat and a technical report being submitted.
"How long do patients seeking treatment have to wait under temporary canopies, exposed to the heat, rain, and now the haze season, while doctors and staff are forced to work in increasingly stressful conditions?" she said.
Meanwhile, Doris welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announcement on permanent placements for contract doctors and increased incentives for nurses and paramedics, but called for a broader approach covering staffing, facilities, allowances and welfare particularly in remote areas.
Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said 337 of the 527 medical officers offered placements in Sarawak had reported for duty, compared with 336 of the 528 offered placements in Sabah.
To address the shortage, Dzulkefly said the ministry had taken several measures, including upgrading the ePlacement system to improve the permanent medical officer placement process.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd