The Ministry of Health (MOH) has established a Special Inter-Ministerial Task Force to address the longstanding shortage of doctors and medical specialists in the country’s public health sector, including measures to improve talent retention.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said, a specific timeline has been set to study and formulate a comprehensive solution to the issue, which he acknowledged has persisted for years.
“The question of the shortage of doctors and medical specialists has been going on for a long time, and as a ministry managing 151 hospitals, we certainly face various problems,” he told reporters after officiating the Wellness Hub Sandakan today.
Dzulkefly said he has directed the ministry’s Secretary-General and Director-General of Health to collaborate with the Ministry of Higher Education, the Public Services Department and the Ministry of Finance to address the matter systematically, with particular focus on Sabah, where the shortage is most acute.
The task force is also reviewing proposals to improve incentives for medical officers, including relocation allowances to encourage postings in Sabah.
“I want this to be viewed from a long-term perspective… there is no reason why such incentives cannot be given to doctors who are committed to serving in Sabah,” Dzulkefly said.
He added that 42 graduate medical officers have recently been placed at Hospital Duchess of Kent in Sandakan as part of immediate relief efforts.
Dzulkefly said the ministry will submit a counter-proposal in the near future in response to the Ministry of Finance’s proposed cuts to operational expenditure affecting the health sector.
The Finance Ministry recently proposed a reduction of RM5.4 billion in operational spending across the health and higher education sectors as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s fiscal position.
Dzulkefly did not elaborate on the specifics of the counter-proposal but indicated the ministry would push back on cuts that could compromise service delivery across its hospital network.
