KUALA LUMPUR: The government should consider recruiting foreign doctors to address shortages of medical officers in Sabah and Sarawak, said Bandar Kuching member of parliament Dr Kelvin Yii.
The rate of medical officers who failed to report for permanent appointments had risen from 2 per cent in 2022 to 20 per cent in 2023, around 40 per cent in 2025 and 66 per cent for hospital postings in Sabah this month, he said.
"As a short-term measure, is the government prepared to recruit foreign doctors, starting with international graduates whom we have trained ourselves at our medical universities, with appropriate patient safety safeguards?
"This should only serve as a temporary bridge, not a substitute to improve the pay and career prospects of our own doctors.
