MOH working to resolve emergency dept issues

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa. - Filepic/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry (MOH) will continue to listen and work on identifying solutions pertaining to emergency department issues in hospitals.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said this was due to the different challenges faced by each emergency department.

She said during a recent visit to an emergency department at a large quaternary hospital, the ministry’s team found that the frontline staff were struggling because patients who were supposed to be admitted were stuck in the emergency department.

“Delays in admissions have an adverse domino effect. What is being done (by the ministry includes) acknowledgement of the scale of the problem and the physical and mental fatigue faced by staff and patients on the ground.

“(Also) internal discussion and direction regarding staffing, opening up of more beds, (and) empowering leadership on the ground,” she said on Twitter yesterday.

Dr Zaliha said many issues were inherited and systemic, but some can be tackled locally with sufficient engagement.

She said many frontliners have worked beyond the call of duty during the pandemic and continue to do so as the healthcare system faces a tsunami of non-communicable diseases.

Meanwhile, her deputy, Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that the MOH is in the final phase of preparing a Health White Paper that involves new basic policies for the national health services sector.

He said this would also involve health services in Sabah, which need Federal Government attention.

On Jan 10, Dr Zaliha said the ministry aimed to table the Health White Paper in Parliament in the middle of this year.

Lukanisman, who is on his first working visit to Sabah, also said that after Covid-19, the country was facing a crisis in health services and that it was crucial to look into the matter.

“We must review health requirements, especially neglected clinic services, including schemes that require additional manpower.

“Of course, the information and input I get from every working visit will be brought to the attention of the highest working positions of the ministry, including the minister.

“We are also aware of the involvement of the state government through the cooperation of the MA63 Special Committee, which we will discuss tomorrow with the Sabah Health Department,” he told Bernama after launching the 2023 Grand Smile Operation Initiative (GSOI) programme at the Lahad Datu hospital.

Lukanisman said that through the GSOI, a total of 58 cleft patients here will undergo surgery from yesterday until Feb 11.

“The main objective of the GSOI is to overcome the increase in existing cases and provide exposure and awareness to the community about cleft lip and the treatment that can be done.

“A cleft occurs when there is a gap or split in the upper lip and/or roof of the mouth (palate). This also happens one in 941 births,” Lukanisman said while expressing hope that NGOs would contribute and provide the necessary assets to the hospital to continue the GSOI programme.