Kota Kinabalu: Sabah currently has no resident paediatric developmental specialist despite the increasing number of autism cases nationwide, said Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Sabah Branch Chairman Dr Brandon Patrick Senagang.
He said families in Sabah are often required to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor to obtain developmental assessments for children with autism spectrum disorder.
“Sabah, a state of nearly four million people, currently has no resident paediatric developmental specialist — not in the public sector and not in the private sector,” he said during the Autism Education Seminar 2026 at Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu, Saturday.
Dr Brandon said fewer than 20 developmental paediatricians are registered nationwide to serve a population of about 33 million people.
He added that the number of children diagnosed with autism and registered with the Department of Social Welfare has risen significantly, from 6,991 in 2013 to more than 53,000 in 2023, and nearly 59,000 by the end of 2024.
He also noted that the prevalence of autism among Malaysian school-age children increased from 6.34 per 1,000 children in 2018 to 9.29 per 1,000 in 2022.
Dr Brandon said parents in Sabah often notice developmental differences in their children as early as age two, but formal diagnosis is frequently delayed until around age four.
“For a child with autism, every month matters. Early diagnosis means early intervention, and early intervention means better outcomes,” he said.
He urged both the Federal and State Governments to prioritise the training and placement of developmental paediatricians in Sabah, including introducing bonded return-of-service schemes for Sabah-based doctors.
Dr Brandon also called for enhanced regional allowances for specialists serving in Sabah, wider implementation of telehealth services, and increased investment in autism-specific support infrastructure across the state.
He said improved data collection through a comprehensive Sabah autism registry would also help enhance planning and access to services.
The seminar was organised by the MMA Sabah Branch with support from Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Council of Social Service and the MMA Foundation.
Also present was Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu Chief Operating Officer Kevin Chia.
