Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s healthcare system is operating at far below acceptable standards, with one doctor serving up to 800 patients, four times worse than the World Health Organisation benchmark, a situation that reflects years of neglect and under-funding.
Speaking during the 2026 Sabah Budget debate, Calvin Chong (Elopura - Warisan) said the stark doctor-to-patient ratio alone showed how critically over-stretched Sabah’s healthcare services had become, especially when compared with Peninsular Malaysia’s ratio of one doctor to 400 patients.
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“This is not a minor gap. This is a serious failure of the healthcare system in Sabah,” he said, adding the Budget failed to address the issue in a meaningful way.
Chong said Sabah has only 95 government health clinics, compared with 194 in Sarawak, which he described as clear evidence of unequal healthcare development between the two states.
He said the situation was particularly worrying in Sandakan, the State’s second-largest city, where healthcare facilities remain inadequate for its dense population. The district has only three hospitals, including Hospital Duchess of Kent (HDOK), 14 health clinics and 13 rural clinics.
“Based on the data I have, Sandakan has only 13 clinics. Tawau has 26, while Kudat, which is much smaller, has 22. How does the Ministry justify this?” he asked.
Chong said the shortage of facilities led to extreme congestion and long-waiting times, forcing patients to travel long distances for treatment, a burden that falls heaviest on the elderly, pregnant women and chronic patients.
“This increases healthcare risks, delays treatment and raises the cost of living. Access to healthcare is clearly not being provided fairly,” he said.
He also highlighted a sharp rise in maternal and infant mortality rates in Sabah, describing the figures as among the most alarming indicators of systemic failure.
He said Sabah recorded the highest under-five mortality rate in the country at 21.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, about 2.5 times the national average, while the State’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 36.6 per 100,000 live births in 2023, also the highest nationwide.
“These are not just numbers. These are lives lost and this Budget does not clearly explain how this crisis will be addressed,” Chong said.
Chong questioned the adequacy of the RM173 million allocation for the Ministry of Women, Health and Community Wellbeing Development, saying it was far too small given the severity of Sabah’s healthcare problems.
“I do not understand why healthcare is so tightly funded when the problems are so serious. What is the real impact of this Budget on the people?” he asked.
He also raised concerns over the condition of HDOK, the main healthcare backbone of Sabah’s east coast and one of the oldest hospitals in the State, which is over 100 years old.
“I was informed that parts of the concrete structure are already in a critical condition. Yet I do not see any clear allocation for upgrading or maintenance,” he said.
Chong said the shortage of nurses was another major issue, with some wards staffed by only three to four nurses per shift, resulting in nurse-to-patient ratios of up to 1:10.
“Nurses are overwhelmed — they are not only providing care but also handling documentation, searching for records due to outdated systems and managing administrative processes. This slows admissions and discharges, and increases patient safety risks,” he said.
He said the Budget also failed to address long-standing water supply disruptions in Sandakan, which continue to affect residential areas and even hospitals.
“These are not new problems. Ministers have visited Sandakan year after year, but the water issue remains unresolved,” he said, calling for both short-term measures such as borehole repairs and reservoir pump activation, as well as long-term solutions, including upgrading treatment plants.
Chong also highlighted unresolved issues involving street-lighting, road safety and the ageing structure of Pasar Muhibbah, urging the State Government to prioritise maintenance and safety.
“This Budget cannot remain just words on paper. The people of Elopura are waiting for action, not promises,” he said.
