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Friday, May 30, 2008

Only 60% of positions for docs, specialists filled in govt hospitals

The Sun (29/5/08): Only 60% of positions for doctors and specialists in the Health Ministry's hospitals are filled, its minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said.

"We are working towards filling up the vacancies," Liow said in his winding-up for the purpose of a RM200 million allocation under the Supplementary Supply Bill in Parliament today.

Admitting thatvthere is a severe shortage of doctors and specialists in government hospitals, Liow said there were constant opportunities for training and upgrading of skills that were being provided, in addition to looking to speed up promotions of doctors and specialists under the ministry.

"We have 1,860 doctors working out of the 3,628 positions," he said, adding that the ministry was also working on efforts to prevent specialists and doctors from migrating to the private sector.

To a question by Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) for migration figures, Liow said he did not have the detailed figures but disclosed that in 2007, the ministry had 1,867 specialists compared with 1,680 this year.

"These numbers comntinue to fall despite yearly replacements. The more we train, the more will leave," he added.

However, in response to a different question raised earlier, Liow said general practitioners in the private sector were also welcomed to help government hospitals in extended hours of services.

"We encourage doctors to come to the hospital and we give them an allowance of RM80 an hour," he said, also admitting to a shortage of nurses.

Liow said health services amounted to 4% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and that escalating costs were a burden.

"The government has been giving 98% subsidies for treatment costs and only 2% pay for the treatment under the full-paying patient scheme in which patients who can afford to pay for treatment pays for the service.

"We will be studying the full-paying patient scheme in August but the costs are rising daily and government’s subsidies are also bloating," he said, adding that the ministry received RM10 billion in subsidies in 2007 and RM12.9 billion last year.

Liow also reassured Khalid Abd Samad (PAS-Shah Alam) that the ministry will build a hospital in Shah Alam city under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

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