KUCHING,July 25 2026: Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian has pleaded with the federal Ministry of Health (MoH) to provide Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) with enough staffing and workforce resources on par with hospitals of similar capacity in Malaya in order to strengthen the quality of healthcare services, particularly critical care, in Sarawak.
Caption: Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian says if we have 4,500 staff, other hospitals with the same capacity should also have the same number.He said SGH, which currently has about 1,000 beds, is only supported by around 4,500 staff compared to about 5,500 staff for hospitals of similar capacity in Malaya.
"A hospital with 1,000 beds, whether in Kuching or in Malaya, should have an equivalent number of staff.
"If we have 4,500 staff, other hospitals with the same capacity should also have the same number. If they have 5,500 staff, why do we have fewer?" he asked attending the Sarawak Critical Care Conference (SCCC) 2026 today.
He said the workforce shortage does not only involve the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but is a challenge faced by the hospital as a whole.
He urged MoH to pay attention to this gap, including creating sufficient positions to meet the actual healthcare service needs in Sarawak.
He said the issue of difficulty in securing workforce to serve in Sarawak also needs to be viewed together with the aspect of post availability, as workforce recruitment cannot take place if the relevant positions are not created.
He said he is optimistic that intensive care services in Sarawak have the potential to be ranked among the best in the Asia Pacific region if continued support and appropriate resources are provided.
He cited the success of the Sarawak Heart Centre, which has been recognised among the best cardiology institutions in Asia Pacific, as an example of the state's healthcare institutions' ability to achieve international standards.
"In Sarawak, we are able to do it because our strength lies in our workforce. Despite facing constraints in resources and staffing, the ICU team continues to work hard.
"I hope that one day, with the same spirit, our ICU will also be able to be ranked among the top 100 in Asia Pacific," he said.
SCCC 2026 Programme director Dr Rachel Chin Wei Ven said SGH recorded 2,975 patients requiring ventilator support in 2025 compared to nearly 2,300 patients in 2020, reflecting a rising need for critical care services.
She said SGH's Medical Critical Care Unit (MCCU), established in 2025, has now developed into a 13-bed critical care unit, specifically to manage medical patients in critical condition.
SCCC 2026, themed "Sarawak's Critical Care Milestone: A Symphony That Unites Minds, Saving Lives", is being held over two days, highlighting a holistic approach to critical care including acute resuscitation, fluid management, hemodynamic assessment, organ support and infectious disease management.
Present at the function included SGH diirector Dr Ngian Hie Ung, head of SGH Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Dr Teo Shu Ching, and head of SGH Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Dr Chor Yek Kee
