KUCHING: Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) has been recognised as one of the country’s top hospitals in the prestigious World’s Best Hospitals 2024 ranking.
This year, for the first time, Malaysia joins the roster alongside other nations like Chile, the United States, Western Europe, and Australia in the ranking that encompasses data on 2,400 hospitals across 30 countries.
SGH has claimed the prestigious position of number 22 among the top 28 Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals 2024 for Malaysia, solidifying its status as a standout in healthcare delivery within the global ranking of 250 hospitals.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian congratulated the hospital and its dedicated staff for the remarkable achievement.
“Not only is SGH one of the four public hospitals listed, but it is also the sole hospital on the island of Borneo in the top 28.
“This ‘unexpected’ achievement, though not surprising for those whom I’ve had the privilege to work with, is only possible because of the 5,000 medical and paramedical staff, along with another 500 private supporting staff, who have been tirelessly dedicating themselves beyond the call of duty.
“Despite facing remuneration disparities of three to 10 times less than private hospitals, along with three to 10 times heavier workloads, they continue to exhibit enthusiasm, passion, dedication, and professionalism with unwavering integrity,” he said in a Facebook post.
As such, Dr Sim stressed the importance of continued support for public hospitals like SGH, urging the community to rally behind these institutions.
He appealed for increased government spending on healthcare, in line with the recommendations outlined in the White Paper, to ensure that hospitals receive the necessary resources to excel.
He noted that under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, the Sarawak government remains steadfast in its commitment to enhance healthcare autonomy and providing financial support for healthcare initiatives in the state.
“This includes advocating health autonomy under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and allocating financial resources to expedite Health Ministry (MOH) projects, such as dilapidated health clinics and hospital upgrades, amounting to tens of billions of ringgit in Sarawak.
“We anticipate reimbursement from the federal government, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the recent visit from the top federal civil service management team, demonstrating our commitment to prioritising Sarawak’s interests beyond mere slogans,” he said.
Among the 28 hospitals listed, only four are public institutions — three from the MoH, including Hospital Kuala Lumpur (ranked fourth), SGH (ranked 22nd), and Hospital Putrajaya (ranked 26th), along with one from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MoHE), which is the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.
