KUALA LUMPUR: Specialists and newly retired healthcare personnel can extend their service in Health Ministry hospitals under the ‘Rakan KKM’ programme, which aims to balance personal needs with professional commitments while ensuring sufficient specialist coverage.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the initiative allows them to dedicate extra time to providing medical services, earning additional income, and mentoring clinical teams after fulfilling their public duties.
Described as a "win-win solution," the programme would strengthen public healthcare while supporting healthcare professionals in continuing their service, said Dzulkefly in a written reply on Thursday (Feb 20).
He was responding to a question from MP Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng (BN-Tanjung Piai), who sought details on the hospitals involved and how the ministry plans to ensure sufficient specialist coverage before full implementation.
Dzulkefly reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to maintaining adequate specialist availability across public hospitals.
Since 2017, the ministry has allowed specialists to take one day off per week to work externally or in private hospitals under the ‘FlexiHours’ scheme, he said.
To ensure smooth implementation, the ministry will closely monitor and evaluate each hospital’s capacity and specialist resources before fully integrating the programme.
"The initiative will not compromise public healthcare services but will instead strengthen the system as a whole. Our goal is to retain skilled healthcare professionals in the public sector for the benefit of all Malaysians," he added.
He said the ministry is focused on improving healthcare access while safeguarding patient interests in government hospitals.
“The ‘Rakan KKM’ initiative aims to reduce the additional workload imposed by the FlexiHours scheme while maintaining the quality of public healthcare services,” he said.
