Kuala Lumpur – Tawau Member of Parliament Datuk Lo Su Fui has raised urgent concerns in Parliament over Sabah’s severe shortage of medical specialists, revealing that the state currently has only two cardiologists serving its population of over 4 million.
Speaking during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), Lo highlighted distressing cases where patients died while awaiting treatment due to the extreme lack of specialist care.
Dire Specialist Shortage in Sabah
Lo emphasized:
✔ Only 2 cardiologists available for the entire state
✔ Patients dying before securing appointments
✔ No specialists willing to work in Sabah, including in Kuala Lumpur
"Some wait so long for cardiac treatment that they pass away before getting their turn," he said.
Proposed Solutions to Retain Specialists
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) MP proposed two key measures:
- Increase Medical Training Opportunities in Sabah
- Expand medical institutions and university intakes for Sabahan students
- Encourage specialists to remain in the state
- Public-Private Healthcare Collaboration
- Allow private hospitals to provide subsidized specialist care at government rates
- Reduce financial burden on the government while improving access
"This approach doesn’t require building new hospitals or maintaining expensive equipment—just better utilization of existing resources," Lo explained.
Nationwide Healthcare Staffing Crisis
The issue extends beyond Sabah, as Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad previously reported:
- 6,919 healthcare workers resigned from the Ministry of Health (2020-2023)
- 2,141 nurses, 1,856 permanent medical officers, and 1,217 specialists left for the private sector
- Projected 60% nursing shortage by 2030
To address the imbalance, the ministry now requires contract medical officers accepting permanent positions to serve at least one term in Sabah or Sarawak under the e-placement 2.0 system.
Call for Immediate Action
Lo urged the Health Ministry to prioritize Sabah’s healthcare crisis, warning that delays in specialist recruitment will continue to cost lives.
"We must act now—before more patients suffer due to this shortage," he stressed.