Sarawak starts Public Health Master Plan 2050 study to improve health services, close regional gaps - Borneo Post Online (2025)

KUCHING (April 9): The Sarawak Public Health Master Plan 2050 study has officially commenced and is expected to take about nine months to complete, revealed Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He said the study is fully funded by the Sarawak government, and is being conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Holdings in partnership with the auditing firm KPMG Malaysia as the consultants.

“This study marks a significant step towards addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes for the people of Sarawak. Despite the progress in healthcare, Sarawak continues to lag behind Peninsular Malaysia in various aspects of health services.

“Recognising the urgent need to reduce these gaps and disparities, the Sarawak government has initiated a comprehensive, evidence-based approach through the development of the Sarawak Public Health Master Plan 2050,” he told a press conference at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.

The state Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister said the Sarawak government is the only government in the country carrying out this study, which aims to formulate a holistic and strategic framework to prevent disease, promote health, and enhance the overall well-being of Sarawakians.

“The plan will include a comprehensive strategy, legal and institutional frameworks, and systematic action plans to improve the governance, public health infrastructure and services across the state,” he said.

As part of the study, consultants from Unimas and KPMG will engage with relevant government departments, agencies, private sector organisations, and health-related non-governmental organisations to gather data and hold discussions.

“This study consists of stakeholder engagements, focus group discussions, roundtable discussions, site visits, in-depth interviews, data collection to the different facilities as well as looking at legal documents,” said Dr Sim.

A key component of the study will focus on gathering community input regarding healthcare services in Sarawak.

A population survey will be conducted across the state, covering all 12 divisions and 45 districts, he added.

“Unimas Holdings and KPMG will be interviewing around 7,000 people to get a true representation. There will also be a smaller survey targeting vulnerable groups and those with special needs,” he said.

Dr Sim said that the survey activities will begin this mid-April and continue through the end of this July.

Enumerators conducting the surveys will carry proper identification to ensure transparency and safety during data collection, he added.

He urged all relevant government departments, private sector entities, and community members to fully cooperate during the data-gathering phase.

“Active participation and accurate data provision are crucial to developing a robust and realistic health master plan,” he said.

Also present at the press conference were Unimas deputy vice-chancellor (Research & Innovation) Prof Dr Siti Noor Linda Taib, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FHMS) Dean Prof Dr Asri Said, Unimas Holdings chief executive officer Dr Abang Ekhsan, FHMS study director Prof Andrew Kiyu, FHMS study manager Prof Anselm Su Ting, and Unimas Holdings senior project manager Prof Dr Kartinah Ayupp.