He was confident the Flying Doctor service could be implemented after the state fully takes over Sabah Air, which had been 40% owned by a private company.

Shafie said the reintroduction of the service would be studied in depth, including mapping suitable areas for the service. He said the health ministry had also been informed about the reinstatement of the service.

He was speaking at a press conference after witnessing the handing over of a rural day hostel of Sekolah Kebangsaan Balambangan, financed by Petronas.

Petronas senior vice-president Raiha Azni Abdul Rahman symbolically handed over the hostel to an education ministry official, Faridah Yang Razali, at Balambangan Island near here today.

Shafie said Sabah’s vast area was one of the factors why health services did not reach the people staying in rural areas.

The Flying Doctor service for isolated villages in the interior of Sabah was terminated by the Health Department in 2016 after 41 years.