KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is planning to enhance its health training facilities, upgrading them into premier institutions for healthcare excellence instead of constructing a new nursing complex, Community Development and People's Well-being Minister Datuk James Ratib said.
"These Health Ministry Training Institutes (ILKKM) will be transformed into Centres of Excellence - CoE to create more skilled and quality healthcare workers," he said when responding to a question from Datuk Dr Jaujan Sambakong (Warisan – Sulabayan) regarding the government's plans to establish a comprehensive nursing training centre with modern facilities in Sabah.
"ILKKM Sabah will be equipped with the latest Teaching and Learning (PdP) equipments by 2025, with an allocation of RM199,626," he added.
James, however, said since there are enough nursing trainees at the various Malaysian Health Ministry Training Institutes (ILKKM) in Sabah, with 1,126 trainees in Kota Kinabalu, 160 in Sandakan and 180 in Tawau, there was no need to build a new nursing training centre.
Improving the medical infrastructure and services for the people of Sabah on Malaysia's Borneo island is a top priority for the government.
James who is also State Health Exco said that the welfare of ILKKM Sabah trainees would be improved with new hostel facilities including comfortable mattresses and beds.
"It will be replaced in Oct 2024 at a cost of RM737,040," he added.