Collaboration with UMS is a long term solution to shortage of doctors in Sabah.

Sabah health Department director Dr Christina Rundi (left) presenting token of appreciation to  UMS School of Medicine dean Dr Datu Kamarudin Datu Mudin.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Health Department will work closely with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in addressing the shortage of medical doctors in the state.
  Its director Dr Christina Rundi said the higher learning institute would be able to provide human resources to improve the current doctor-to-population ratio of 1:1500.
  Since 2003, UMS School of Medicine has produced about 400 graduates and expecting to establish a teaching hospital as well as masters programme near future.
  "It is a long-term solution to have UMS to provide medical programme and specialty courses for locals as the chance for those future graduates to serve at hometown is higher.
  "However, the plan cannot be materialised over few years as we need to emphasise quality(of the programme) in terms of years of study and clinical posting matter," she said in a press conference after launching the inaugural Borneo Paediatrics and Paediatric surgery conference at UMS here yesterday.
  The two-day conference, which began on Friday, was attended by 493 participants comprise specialists, medical officers, nurses and UMS students.
  The programme, jointly organised by Sabah Health Department, UMS and Likas Women and Children hospital(HWKKS), include talks and research presentation ranging from intricacies of managing congenital diaphragmatic hernia to child protection issues.
  Earlier in opening speech, Dr Christina said that health services for children in Sabah had greatly improved with more paediatric specialists and availability of better infrastructure.
  "Almost all medical and surgical specialties for children are available in Likas Women and Children hospital with 64 beds exclusively for surgical, intensive care units and burn center.
  "At present there are also two paediatric surgeons who will make regular visits to eight major hospitals in state," she said, adding that the state also has few paediatric cardiologist, neurologist and ophtalmologist.
   Present at the function were UMS School of Medicine dean Dr Datu Kamarudin Datu Mudin, HWKKS director Dr Tan Bee Hwai and organising chairperson (paediatric surgery) Shunmugam Rajah.