Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is prepared to support a proposal to amend the current act governing the employment of health workers, as the Health Services Commission lacks the authority to create new positions. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted that this responsibility falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Department (PSD) and the Ministry of Finance, as outlined in the existing act and financial regulations.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Dzulkefly explained that the Federal Constitution does not empower the commission to create new positions. He emphasized that the primary purpose of the commission remains outside its current powers, presenting a challenge that must be addressed. He suggested that the Dewan Rakyat is the appropriate platform to draft and amend acts to align with contemporary needs and expressed confidence that the Special Select Committee on Health could advance this matter.
Dr Dzulkefly further mentioned that the Ministry of Health, through the Rakan KKM initiative, is taking steps to enhance practices in the private sector, particularly through the Full Paying Patient (FPP) Service Scheme. This approach aims to retain specialists and doctors within the public sector by offering competitive wages and improved staffing.
Dr Dzulkefly underscored the importance of providing affordable health facilities to prevent the private sector from charging exorbitant fees, thereby ensuring competitive benchmarks and prices. He addressed the issue of health worker transfers, revealing that 6,919 health workers had resigned and moved to the private sector between 2020 and the previous year due to better offers.
Moreover, the Ministry of Health aims to absorb 3,200 contract medical officers into permanent roles this year, following the permanent appointment of 13,349 contract medical officers between 2020 and 2024. Dr Dzulkefly also noted that the ministry trained 4,776 medical specialists during this period and plans to place an additional 900 specialists in health facilities.
He highlighted ongoing specialist training for 6,211 medical officers, including 5,519 in the Master of Medicine programme and 692 in the Parallel Pathway programme as of January 31. He assured that the Ministry of Health is actively working on the placement of medical officers and specialists in areas with greater need, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, to address imbalanced distribution issues in these rural regions.