Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Health Department (JKNS) still requires more medical specialists to meet the needs of health services in the State.
Sabah Health Director Datuk Dr William Gotulis said this requirement also involves positions for nurses and assistant medical officers to accommodate the increasing demand for health services and the needs of several health facilities.
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“In truth, the numbers depend on the category; for example, in terms of expertise, we certainly still require more and are constantly in communication with the Health Ministry to ensure the number of specialists increases.
“We do still need nurses and assistant medical officers, but we are always in contact with the relevant parties to ensure the supply is sufficient.
“However, the main issue I see is that the number of medical officers from Sabah itself is very low. Only 30 per cent of doctors in Sabah are locals, while the remaining 70 per cent are from outside Sabah,” he told the media after paying a courtesy call on Head of State Tun Musa Aman at Istana Seri Kinabalu here, Monday.
Dr William said that, besides introducing himself, the visit was aimed at providing the latest information, particularly regarding the development of JKNS.
Meanwhile, he said JKNS is currently increasing surveillance in facing the threat of Hantavirus infections.
“We will continue to cooperate with the Health Ministry to obtain the latest information regarding this matter,” he said.
Dr William was appointed as the new Sabah Health Director effective Aug 21, 2025, succeeding Datuk Dr Maria Suleiman, who retired on June 26, 2025.
