‘Upskill healthcare experts to meet demand for psychiatrists’

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of psychiatrists in Malaysia currently stands at around 500 with the ratio being roughly one psychiatrist for 100,000 people, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic).

He said the recommended World Health Organisation ratio is one psychiatrist serving 10,000 people, thus, in order to effectively balance this disparity, other healthcare professionals will need to be upskilled to assess and manage mental health issues in the community.