KUCHING: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the health sector could potentially be a major catalyst in addressing the issue of medical staff shortage in Sarawak, improving the efficiency of hospital and clinic services in the state.
Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian said that AI has great potential in assisting medical work, especially in diagnosis, emergency treatment and patient health monitoring, in addition to saving long-term operating costs.
“In Sarawak, we are facing a shortage of more than 1,000 doctors in government hospitals.
“Although the Ministry of Health (MOH) has sent 650 doctors from Kuala Lumpur since October, only 66 per cent have reported to Sarawak. So, AI can help reduce this burden by speeding up the diagnosis and treatment process,” he explained.
He said this to the media after attending the SwinTalk: AI Driven Futures programme at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak here, on Wednesday.
According to Datuk Amar Dr. Sim, AI is able to increase the productivity and effectiveness of healthcare staff, for example, three workers can be replaced by one AI system that works automatically, enabling human resources to be used more strategically.
He also shared that a pilot project using AI doctors will be implemented in Miri next month through the collaboration of the Fudan Institute of Integrative Medicine, a private initiative using technology from China.
“This is the first time that AI doctor technology like this has been used outside of China, and we are grateful for the knowledge sharing. I personally want to review how this system works because sometimes AI also needs to be evaluated in terms of its accuracy and safety,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government also stressed the need for continuity in health policies between the Sarawak Government and the MOH under the Sarawak Health Autonomy concept, in order for the management of hospitals, clinics and human resources to be carried out in a more structured manner without disruption due to changes in administration at the federal level.
“Every time there is a change of Director General or Secretary General, many things need to be started over. We hope this policy can be maintained so that Sarawak can manage its own health system more effectively,” he said.
Datuk Amar Dr. Sim also acknowledged that the health workforce constraints have caused doctors and nurses in Sarawak to work under high pressure, but expressed confidence that the integration of AI technology will be part of the long-term solution to ensure access to quality health for all Sarawakians. -UKASnews
Reporter : Maryam Zanariah Ibrahim
Translator: Nerissa Sia
Photographer : Hazrin
