Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has welcomed the Health Ministry's decision to offer 560 permanent Medical Officer positions in the State beginning in October, describing it as a timely move to address the longstanding shortage of healthcare personnel.
State Women, Health and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk Julita Majungki (
pic) said the appointments reflected the urgent need to strengthen healthcare services, particularly in rural and interior areas where access remained a challenge.
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She said equal attention should be given to ensuring the newly appointed officers reported for duty and remained in Sabah for the long term, adding that efforts to recruit healthcare workers must be complemented by measures to improve staff retention.
Julita reiterated her call to restore and strengthen incentives such as the Regional Incentive Allowance (BIW), enhance support for personnel serving in rural and interior districts, and provide a conducive working environment for healthcare professionals.
She said the State Government looked forward to continuing its close collaboration with the Health Ministry to strengthen healthcare services, address workforce shortages and improve access to quality healthcare throughout Sabah.
