KOTA SAMARAHAN, May 16 2026: The state's healthcare system and medical workforce development must be further strengthened to face the challenges of transitioning into an ageing society by 2030.
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Caption: Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian says that the state's healthcare system must be further strengthened
Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian stressed that this demographic shift is expected to place significant pressure on the healthcare system, particularly regarding non-communicable diseases, community care, and long-term treatment.
“A recently announced National Health and Morbidity Survey Report showed that only about 15 per cent of the elderly population is in good health.
“This situation means that the majority of the ageing society will face various health issues, including chronic diseases and mental health conditions,” he said when met by reporters after attending the 4th International Nursing Students Conference 2026 (4th INSC 2026) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) this morning.
Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government minister, said that the field of nursing is no longer confined solely to hospital care, but has instead expanded into community care and home treatment, which require more specialised expertise.
This, he added, includes technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), which will play a crucial role in the transformation of the future healthcare system.
He also lamented that the increasingly critical capacity pressure at the state's main hospitals requires more serious attention, particularly regarding funding allocations and the healthcare workforce.
He stressed the healthcare facilities in Sarawak are currently operating under challenging conditions, including a shortage of workforce compared to hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The main hospitals in Sarawak, particularly the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), are facing high patient loads, to the point where emergency units are frequently operating at over capacity.
“If there is a need to implement budget cuts, Sarawak should not be the first state to receive such reductions, given that the state has long been operating with a shortage of manpower and healthcare facility capacity,” he said.
He noted that a 1,000-bed capacity hospital in Peninsular Malaysia has a higher number of staff compared to a hospital of the same capacity in Sarawak.
This, he added, directly places immense pressure on healthcare workers who have to manage a high volume of patients amidst human resource constraints.
He expressed hopes the federal government will consider not impacting Sarawak's healthcare sector in their expenditure-saving measures, as the state still requires reinforcement in terms of facilities and manpower.
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