JOHOR BARU: Johor will receive a special allocation of more than RM1.4mil and 35 medical staff members from the Health Ministry to support the shortages faced by the state’s two main hospitals, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Health Minister said she was aware of Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s recent spot checks at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) and Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) which highlighted the shortage of medical personnel and equipment.
“The ministry is also aware of the closure of two wards and 10 operating theatres due to the shortage of resources, especially medical officers and nurses.
“As such, the ministry is in the process of coming up with an immediate solution where Johor will receive 35 permanent nurses and other staff members including assistant medical officers and related contract personnel, which are pending approval,” she said in a statement on Monday (June 12).
Dr Zaliha added that the ministry has approved RM771,600 in special allocations for the purchase of medical and non-medical assets such as hospital beds, defibrillators, vital signs equipment, an electrocardiogram machine and portable X-ray viewer.
Apart from that, operational expenses of RM634,916 was allocated to the state Health Department for non-medical assets to address the urgent needs at HSA and HSI, she added.
She thanked all quarters for their concern towards the healthcare sector to ensure the best service is provided for the people.
“The whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is among the vital points outlined in the Health White Paper that will be presented in Parliament on June 13.
“This is to ensure equality and accessibility to healthcare services that are more sustainable and future-proof,” she added.
Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz responded positively to the Health Ministry’s response in a Facebook post.
“I thank Dr Zaliha and the ministry on behalf of the Johor government for the assistance given,” he said, also expressing appreciation for Public Service director-general Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed and the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Norazman Ayob for their help.
Onn Hafiz recently highlighted that the state’s Health Department is facing a lack of almost 2,800 medical personnel, doctors and nurses.
Following that, he and state exco member for health and unity Ling Tian Soon visited HSA and HSI with the ministry’s top officials to look at the congested conditions at the state’s two main public hospitals.
Onn Hafiz reportedly said that HSA alone is short of some 200 doctors and it is the second busiest facility in the country after Hospital Kuala Lumpur, catering to patients in Johor, Melaka, Pahang and Negri Sembilan.
As for HSI, he added, it was packed at the paediatrics ward and emergency and trauma department as patients had to wait up to six hours to be treated.
