Meditation practices can be supportive approach to help stressful hospital staff

KUCHING, Dec 21 2025: Meditation practices play an important role as a supportive approach in helping to deal with mental and emotional stress, especially among hospital staff who face challenging work environments and high demands on health services.

Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian: Sarawsk General Hospital has about 5,000 staff 

Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian said that hospitals are often seen as places to treat patients, but in reality they are also high-pressure work environments for medical staff including doctors and nurses.

“Hospitals are stressful places, not only for patients and their families, but also for medical staff.

“When medical staff are stressed, they will make more mistakes.

“That is why approaches such as meditation are very important as a stress management mechanism, helping individuals to pause, think, reflect and regain focus,” he said at the Second United Nations World Meditation Day programme held at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), today.

According to the Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, SGH, which has about 5,000 staff and a capacity of 1,000 beds, operates with an annual allocation of around RM834 million, which is much lower than similar-sized hospitals in developed countries.

Despite facing resource constraints, he said SGH is still able to function efficiently thanks to the perseverance and high commitment of Sarawak health staff who continue to provide the best services to the people.

Dr Sim also stressed that programmes such as the UN Meditation Day celebration not only raise awareness of the importance of mental and emotional wellbeing, but also help instill the values of empathy, resilience and continuous support for healthcare workers who are the mainstay of the medical service system in Sarawak.