GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry does not rule out the possibility of hiring specialist doctors from abroad, but the country has sufficient expertise and resources, thanks to a strong synergy between the public and private healthcare sectors, says Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
The Deputy Health Minister said the ministry is currently refining a set of future-ready healthcare policies aimed at strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance service delivery.
"We can provide comprehensive healthcare services, provided that resource availability is ensured and public-private synergy is maximised.
“This integrated approach is seen as the most effective method to deliver essential medical services," he said during a press conference after attending the official launching ceremony of the Miracle Baby Programme (MBP) 2.0 at Penang Hospital on Thursday (April 24).
Lukanisman said that in an effort to tackle the shortage of specialist doctors, the federal government is undertaking a structural reform of positions within the health ministry and has approved 800 permanent positions for medical specialists annually since 2023.
He said that with the restructuring and through various initiatives, including the implementation of the alternative specialist training route or parallel pathway, he is confident that more specialists can be trained locally.
He also believed that the current staffing structure and specialist training system are capable of addressing the shortage of medical specialists in the country.
He said he believed that with the strengthening of collaboration between the public and private sectors, plus the initiative in staffing structure, the ministry can produce more specialists in the future.
Lukanisman, commenting on the issue of specialist shortages in government hospitals and clinics, said the problem is also contributed by the declining number of registered doctors and medical trainees each year, in addition to the trend of trainees leaving the profession.
According to him, a total of 692 specialists are currently undergoing training through the parallel pathway, while 6,211 medical officers are in various stages of specialist training.
At the same time, the country offers 1,650 specialist training slots annually.
He added that the amendment to Act 50 has opened the door to greater recognition of alternative specialist training routes, which has been a hot topic of discussion among medical professionals.
He said that the issue of specialist shortages is also linked to maldistribution, and the Health Ministry is currently reviewing the actual needs based on specific medical fields and geographic locations.
"There are requests from Sabah and Sarawak to bring in specialists from Peninsular Malaysia with special incentive offers currently under consideration.
"This also includes proposals to bring in specialists from abroad, an approach that has been implemented in the past and is now being further reviewed," he added.
He said the private sector also plays a vital role, which can serve as a strategic partner to the ministry in addressing the country’s need for medical expertise.
"During the pandemic, we outsourced resources and certain specialist services to private hospitals.
"That experience demonstrated the potential for collaboration between the public and private sectors in ensuring continued delivery of quality healthcare services to the people," he said.
