New Sabah ministry will channel more allocations for health service, facilities

KOTA KINABALU, July 5 (Bernama) -- The establishment of a new ministry responsible for the health of the people in Sabah will allow more allocations to be channelled for that purpose, particularly in the development of health facilities.

Sabah Health and People's Well-being Minister Stephen Wong Tien Fatt said the power entrusted to the new ministry to make decisions, including raising annual allocations, would ensure the health services provided would benefit all levels of the people in the state’s urban and rural areas.

"Discussions with the Ministry of Health of Malaysia on delegation of authority and allocation issues are the main agenda of my ministry in the near future.

"I believe my ministry will be able to make changes to health services to improve the health and well-being of the people in Sabah," he said when delivering his winding-up speech for his ministry at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

Wong also said his ministry would look into the people's grievances on the lack of medical experts in Sabah to find the best solution to offset the services of specialists not only between Sabah and other states, but also between the west and east coast areas of Sabah.

Meanwhile, Sabah Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick said his ministry would continue to implement a holistic programme to raise the income of the hardcore poor in a sustainable manner.

"To ensure that projects implemented run smoothly with maximum impact, especially to rural people, my ministry will constantly review and update existing programmes and activities, as well as identify new programmes that are suitable.

"In this regard, the district poverty eradication focus group chaired by district officers is responsible for monitoring the implementation and performance of poverty eradication programmes implemented by state and federal agencies," he said in his winding up speech for his ministry.

-- BERNAMA