KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — The Health Ministry (MOH) has begun placing medical specialists, including emergency medicine and internal medicine experts, in rural hospitals to ensure specialist services are not concentrated solely in major hospitals.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the move aims to provide more comprehensive and accessible healthcare to all segments of society, including those in rural areas.
"There are not many referral hospitals in the country. To address this issue, we have started assigning specialists to key district hospitals that do not have full-time specialists.
“...we also plan to introduce minor surgical procedures at health clinics as part of our ongoing healthcare reforms," he said during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dr Dzulkefly was responding to Sik MP Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman's supplementary query on the government's plans to place additional full-time medical specialists in rural areas.
On a separate issue, he said the MOH conducts regular assessments of the operational needs and responsibilities of on-call medical staff.
This is to ensure that the number of on-call personnel is adequate, balancing the welfare of healthcare workers
“The number of medical officers on call is determined based on service needs, workload, and the complexity of cases at healthcare facilities,” he said, responding to Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun's query on whether the current number of on-call doctors is sufficient.
