KUCHING: Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) play a crucial role in Sarawak’s healthcare system, particularly in alleviating the state’s doctor shortage, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said nearly 50 percent of medical facilities in Sarawak are currently understaffed with doctors, making AMOs indispensable in ensuring healthcare services remain accessible.
Dr Sim pointed out that Sarawak needs approximately 2,000 doctors to meet Malaysian standards, yet even that number remains insufficient.
“We certainly have a problem with the shortage of doctors, but AMOs have played an important role in the medical sector,” he said.
Dr Sim made these remarks when speaking to reporters after the launch of the state-level Assistant Medical Officer Day at the Sarawak Heart Centre, today (March 22).
Following his recent meeting with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Dr Sim, who is also the Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, said he raised concerns over the unfilled AMO positions in Sarawak.
“After my meeting with the Minister, they appointed Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, to oversee the filling of these vacancies, especially since we have more than 800 nurses in West Malaysia who wish to return home and serve in Sarawak.
“We will also continue to strive to advocate for this matter to strengthen our healthcare and medical sector,” he said.
On Mar 10, Dr Dzulkefly said a total of 774 assistant medical officers under the sixth and seventh phases of contract appointments will be offered permanent positions as early as next month, in line with the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare workforce.
He said there are 3,264 assistant medical officers still on contract, with 2,661 of them based at the Health Ministry’s training Institutes while the remainder are in private institutions.
According to him, the total number of positions for assistant medical officers stands at 17,770, with 92 per cent or 16,301 already filled, leaving 1,469 vacancies.
However, Dr Sim stated that he could not provide further details on the number of permanent appointments for Sarawak, as the latest data was not yet available.
