Experts: But this may not resolve staff shortages as other issues persist
PETALING JAYA: The move to allow the Health Ministry to manage and allocate its own approved healthcare posts will not necessarily resolve the long-standing shortage of healthcare personnel, say health experts.
While welcoming the move to speed up recruitment and improve workforce planning, they said insufficient funding and a shortage of healthcare professionals to fill the approved posts could hamper its effectiveness.
Public healthcare specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said giving the Health Ministry greater authority to determine where healthcare workers are needed was a positive step, as staffing requirements differed across states.
“The authority and trust that the Public Service Department (JPA) has given the Health Ministry is commendable.
“States such as Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Pahang require more doctors and nurses than better-served states such as Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
“Those on the ground understand local healthcare needs better and are in the best position to allocate manpower accordingly,” she said.
On Friday, JPA director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz announced that about 11,000 posts had been approved for the Health Ministry, with greater autonomy given to the ministry to manage and allocate the positions based on operational needs.
The number of approved posts exceeded the ministry’s original request for 9,000.
Dr Sharifa, however, said the success of the initiative would depend on whether the government could provide sufficient funding for salaries and whether there were enough trained healthcare professionals to fill the posts.
She noted that healthcare workers require years of training and professional credentialling, suggesting that retired personnel, foreign healthcare workers and greater collaboration with the private sector could help bridge immediate shortages.
She said that while the policy was unlikely to produce immediate results, it marked an important first step.
“The implementation will likely take place in phases over several years. The biggest concern is ensuring there is enough funding to sustain these positions,” she said.
She also proposed additional incentives, particularly for Sabah, to accelerate specialist training, overseas attachments and long-term retention.
Public health medicine specialist Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar described the move as a significant effort to reduce bureaucratic delays in deploying healthcare workers where they are most needed.
However, he questioned how much practical difference it would make, particularly as staff deployment has traditionally been managed by the Health Ministry.
“The real issue is not administrative flexibility but having enough healthcare personnel to fill the vacancies,” he said.
Dr Zainal also said Sabah’s workforce shortage remained severe with the state having only about 2,884 doctors despite requiring an estimated 9,000.
He added that although 560 new permanent medical officer posts had been allocated to Sabah, historical reporting rates suggest only about half of those appointed were likely to report for duty.
“The main challenge is retention, not recruitment. Many doctors decline postings to Sabah and Sarawak because of relocation costs, inadequate incentives and limited career progression,” he said.
He suggests improving infrastructure, restoring regional allowances, providing relocation assistance, enhancing career pathways and establishing an independent Health Service Commission to drive broader reforms.
The Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU) described the move as a timely practical reform that would help speed up the filling of critical vacancies in the country’s healthcare system.
“Giving the ministry greater flexibility to allocate posts based on actual service needs would improve recruitment and workforce planning, particularly in underserved states such as Sabah,” said its president Ajulahin Japin.
“However, staffing decisions must reflect on-the-ground realities and the government should also fill long-standing vacancies caused by retirements, resignations and transfers,” he said.
