PETALING JAYA: A shortage of manpower has driven several government hospitals to restructure their services.
For instance, Hospital Duchess of Kent in Sandakan has implemented temporary measures such as moving lodger beds, prioritising services and realigning the schedules of visiting specialists.
In an internal memo dated June 9 sighted by The Star, it said the General Medicine Department is carrying out operational adjustment and optimisation measures to maximise the use of resources.
“These measures are intended to ensure continuity of service delivery, patient safety, effective clinical risk management and the welfare of staff members,” it said.
It also explained that the steps taken were due to recent changes in the department’s workforce composition following the release of several medical officers (MO) to pursue specialist training, as well as other vacancies to be filled.
The memo said affected services will be progressively restored to their original operations once the manpower situation improves.
For this, the department needs at least 18 medical officers.
The use of lodger beds in the male orthopaedic ward and the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) ward will be suspended to channel available resources to the main wards.
Four lodger beds in the gynaecology ward will be retained, while the lodger bed area in the ENT ward will be temporarily repurposed as a “transit area” for patients who have been authorised for discharge, the memo said.
The frequency of visiting specialist clinics, including the palliative visiting clinic, will also be temporarily adjusted based on operational capacity.
“Clinics previously conducted on a monthly basis will be rescheduled according to service requirements and available resources,” it said.
The hospital pledged that it would still prioritise emergency and acute cases based on clinical need and operational capacity.
“Patients who are clinically stable and suitable for transfer will be referred to, or followed up, at the appropriate healthcare facilities according to clinical requirements, to ensure continuity of optimal patient care,” it said.
The memo also said these operational adjustments are temporary and do not constitute a permanent change to the scope or capacity of services provided by the Department of General Medicine.
Sabah Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Julita Majungki, when contacted, said the temporary measures at Hospital Duchess of Kent are meant to ensure that services are maintained while long-term solutions are developed.
She said the hospital is facing increasing demand as it is a major referral centre.
