Sabah has 23 anaesthetists – Health Department
KOTA KINABALU: The Health Department said there are 23 anaesthetists in Sabah and not seven as reported.
According to head of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care services for Sabah, Dr Lily Ng, the figure reported by a national daily only represented the seven anaesthetists doing general work in both Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 and 2, which did not include a cardiac anaesthetist and a pain anaesthetist who were also working in both hospitals.
Ng said among the total of 23 anaesthetists in Sabah, there are six in Likas Hospital working in paediatrics, obsteric and gyanaecology, while the rest are stationed throughout Sandakan, Tawau, LahadDatu and Keningau.
Specialists in this field are normally posted to Sabah for at least 12 months before they return to Peninsular Malaysia to either continue serving in government hospitals or the private sector, she added.
“No doubt there is a shortage of anaesthetists all over the world, including in advanced countries. Malaysia is no different,” Ng said.
“The Ministry of Health and Director General of Health and Head of Anaesthesiology Malaysia, Datin Dr Sivasakti, are doing their level best to facilitate the training of as many specialists as possible, to cope with the increasing scope of anaesthetic work, both in West Malaysia and East Malaysia.
“Both the Health Ministry and Sabah State Health Department have been posting staff of all categories for training in advance, to serve in the Twin Towers and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We hope more anaesthetists will be coming to serve in the Twin Towers.
“For our part, we will endeavour to serve as best as we can, to get the new theatres in Queen Elizabeth Hospital running smoothly,” she disclosed.
Source: Borneo Post Online
Published: 20 Oct 2013
