Materia Medica Malaysiana

MMA: Upgrade rural hospitals first

PETALING JAYA: The Government's plan to hire retired doctors to serve in rural areas will receive good response if the Government improves existing facilities in these areas, according to the Malaysian Medical Association.

Its president Datuk Dr N. Arumugam said the plan was feasible as retired doctors could use their expertise gained over the years to serve the rural community be it part-time or full-time.

“However, a reasonable work and remuneration scheme should be worked out for these doctors,” he said yesterday.

Dr Arumugam said as a parallel move, more efforts should be made to upgrade older hospitals and existing facilities in the rural areas.

“Having better facilities and even new hospitals will help attract doctors to the rural areas, especially for those who enjoy the quiet and relaxed life in the countryside,” he said.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said on Saturday that there was a plan to hire retired doctors for rural areas as they could help relieve the acute shortage of doctors there.

He said 643 foreign doctors would be sent to rural hospitals and polyclinics while 34 retired doctors had been re-employed to serve in the rural areas.

Malaysian Doctors' Co-operative Society chairman Dr J.S. Deo, however, felt the proposal might not be attractive.

“A lot of them will not leave their family and grandchildren to resettle in a kampung or other rural areas as coming home to their loved ones is simply priceless.

“Also, once they've reached retirement age, they have already established a certain lifestyle with their families, a home and sufficient money, making it harder for them to relocate,” he said.

Dr Deo said the Government needed to provide special incentives for these doctors to attract them as many were earning well as a locum.

The Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia president Dr M.K. Rajakumar said the key was to create top-rate healthcare centres to attract retired doctors to rural areas.

“An attractive salary, allowances for their children's education and accommodation will also help lure them,” he said.