Health Ministry rolls out initiatives to address surgery backlog
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 15,000 patients are currently on the waiting list for various elective surgeries at government hospitals, says the Health Ministry.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic) said the ministry acknowledged the prolonged waiting periods.
He assured that emergency operations are carried out promptly without compromising patient safety.
“A total of 9,233 patients are currently waiting for cataract surgeries at 56 hospitals nationwide, with an average waiting period of three months.
“Meanwhile, 2,661 patients await procedures related to kidney stones, such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery, with an average waiting period of 11 months available at 13 hospitals with resident urology surgical specialists,” he said.
He was responding to a question by Yeo Bee Yin (PH-Puchong), who had asked for the number of patients on the waiting list and the average waiting period.
Dzulkefly said 2,293 patients are in line for major cardiothoracic surgeries, including coronary artery bypass graft and heart valve surgeries, which have a waiting period of seven months.
“The paediatric cardiothoracic surgeries face an even longer delay, with 603 elective cases pending and an average waiting time of 21 months,” he added.
To address these lengthy waiting periods, the Health Ministry has implemented several initiatives, Dzulkefly revealed.
“These include expanding the cluster hospital concept and deploying surgical specialists to more hospitals lacking resident experts to initiate services.
“Furthermore, collaborations between agencies and public-private partnerships are being pursued to reduce surgical waiting times,” he said while highlighting the establishment of the MAIWP-Hospital Selayang Cataract Surgery Centre, a collaboration between the ministry and Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council.
He also said the Health Services Outsourcing Programme is part of this effort to enhance access and expedite surgical treatment for patients in need.
“Such measures are expected to improve access and expedite surgical treatment for patients who require it,” he added.
