KUALA LUMPUR: More hospitals are recording shorter waits for ward beds, with 28 of 39 major hospitals nationwide reporting average waiting times of less than eight hours as of June, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic).
Last year, 55.26% of hospitals recorded an average waiting time of less than eight hours, he said.
The figures covered Type One and Type Two hospitals, comprising state hospitals and major specialist hospitals that handle high patient volumes and referrals from surrounding districts.
“And 94 of 103 Type Three and Type Four hospitals, comprising minor specialist hospitals and hospitals without specialists, recorded average bed waiting times of less than four hours,” he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He was responding to Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (PH-Port Dickson), who asked about the number of government hospitals experiencing persistent emergency department congestion, the average waiting times for treatment and ward admission, and the ministry’s measures to address the problem.
Dzulkefly said the ministry had introduced various measures to improve public healthcare delivery, including monitoring waiting-time indicators and outsourcing 14 services since 2024.
The outsourcing programme has benefited more than 50,000 patients at 75 Health Ministry hospitals, he said.
Short-term measures included improving patient flow through Lean Healthcare initiatives, strengthening bed management, providing dedicated waiting areas for patients awaiting discharge and expanding day-care units.
“The ministry also introduced cluster hospitals and service networks to facilitate the sharing of specialist expertise, equipment and bed capacity among hospitals in nearby areas.”
In the longer term, he said the ministry would undertake targeted infrastructure upgrades, renovations and expansions, alongside efforts to strengthen staffing.
Dzulkefly said the establishment of the Health Services Commission will not give it the authority to create new posts or formulate a remuneration system, including setting more competitive emolument rates for officers under its purview.
“These matters fall under the authority of the Public Service Department and the Finance Ministry,” he said.
Dzulkefly said the limitation applied to all service commissions in Malaysia, including the Education Service Commission and the Police Force Commission.
However, he said the proposed commission will have the power to appoint officers, confirm appointments, place them on a permanent or pensionable establishment, promote and transfer them, and exercise disciplinary control over its members.
