MoH In Final Stages Of Resolving Bureaucratic Hurdles In Specialist Training

PUTRAJAYA, June 19 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry (MoH) is in the final stages of addressing several issues, including bureaucratic constraints affecting the training and development pathways for medical specialists.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry had identified several bottlenecks that needed to be resolved to expedite efforts to produce more specialists.

“Yes, I am aware there may be bureaucratic constraints, but all these issues will be addressed. We are now in the final stages of ensuring that we can overcome them,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the MoH and Sarawak Energy for the construction of the Bakun-Murum Health Clinic here today.

Dzulkefly was commenting on reports that Malaysia is currently facing a shortage of about 11,000 medical specialists nationwide, raising concerns over the public healthcare system’s capacity to meet growing demand.

Dzulkefly said the reported shortage of 11,000 specialists covered both the public and private healthcare sectors.

He said plans to increase the number of specialists within the ministry are being implemented in phases and aligned with infrastructure development.

“I must emphasise that the expansion of our specialist workforce is usually undertaken in tandem with improvements and additions to healthcare infrastructure.

“That is why the increase in specialist numbers must be carried out progressively and continuously, based on current needs and priorities. We have our planning in place, and the development of our specialist workforce is synchronised with the requirements of healthcare facilities,” he said.

Dzulkefly said the MoH is currently adopting a cluster crisis management system as an interim measure to address existing challenges while more comprehensive solutions are being finalised.

He said the approach involves collaboration among hospitals within the same cluster and health clinics, including the redeployment and reorganisation of healthcare personnel according to operational needs.

“The most important thing is that healthcare services remain uninterrupted. We are fully aware of the pressures faced by the workforce, but we are addressing them through this cluster crisis management approach while more comprehensive solutions are being finalised,” he said.

-- BERNAMA