TAPAH: The Health Ministry will station emergency medicine specialists in 10 non-specialist hospitals nationwide by this August.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the move is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to ensure more efficient and comprehensive emergency services in hospitals without specialists.
“We have begun the effort to place at least one emergency physician in every hospital within three years.
“The Health Ministry will begin stationing these specialists to 10 non-specialist hospitals in phases by August 2025,” he told a press conference after launching an event with Batang Padang health workers at Tapah Hospital on Thursday (April 10).
Also present were Perak Health Committee Chairman A. Sivanesan and state health director Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha.
Dr Dzulkefly added that the ministry has already placed emergency specialists in district hospitals and hospitals without specialists, including four in Kedah, two in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Kelantan and one in Pahang and Sarawak.
Dr Dzulkefly also said that 24-hour emergency services will be reinstated at the Tanjong Malim Health Clinic to meet the overwhelming demand from the local community.
He said that the ministry has examined the proposal to re-implement the round-the-clock emergency services at the health clinic, given its over-20-year history of providing the service, before the Slim River Hospital was established.
“For now, the service will operate using existing staff through duties outside of active regular working hours,” he said.
