KOTA KINABALU: The new Sabah Health and People’s Wellbeing ministry will ensure that healthcare in Sabah is up to par.
Its minister Stephen Wong said there were complaints that hospitals in the state were not up to par and there was a need to increase specialist doctors.
“This is a Federal government’s promise to Sabah and two new ministries have been set up - Sabah Health and People’s Wellbeing as well as Education and Innovation,” he said during the ministry’s briefing at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens here.
Wong, who is Sandakan Member of Parliament, is one of the two appointed assemblymen under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s cabinet.
Besides focussing on more on staffing, the new portfolio would also look into upgrading hospitals and medical facilities, as well as providing transition houses for family members of hospitalised patients.
When asked on the funding of the new ministries, Wong said the state ministry would need time to work out the mechanism.
“In terms of funding, we already had some discussion before election on revenue collected from Sabah including (reviewing of) 20 per cent oil royalty to facilitate the ministries.
“But for now, we need to wait for the appointment of federal cabinet ministers, especially the Health ministry, to discuss the mechanism,” he added.
Present at the briefing were assistant minister Norazlinah Arif and permanent secretary Janet Chee.