Materia Medica Malaysiana

Queue in hospitals report completed

JOHOR BARU: The report on ways to reduce waiting time in hospitals has been completed and will be tabled in the Cabinet at the end of this month.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said he would disclose the details including the recommendations after presenting the report to the Cabinet.

“Let the Cabinet have the report first, then I will make public the necessary details,” he said after visiting Sultanah Aminah Hospital here yesterday.

Dr Chua said a special committee headed by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad had compiled the report.

On the recently completed Sultan Ismail Hospital in Pandan near here, Dr Chua said it would be fully operational next year, and that only the haemodialysis unit was opened now.

After opening the SK Felda Tenang Parent-Teacher Association's annual general meeting in Labis, Dr Chua said between 50 and 100 doctors and specialists from Myanmar would be hired soon to overcome a shortage of medical officers in public hospitals and clinics.

He said he would go to Myanmar soon to discuss the recruitment plan with authorities there.

He said the ministry could hire 1,124 foreign doctors and specialists and it had currently recruited about 630.

On another matter, Dr Chua confirmed beef sold locally were now free from beta-agonist, a banned growth stimulant.

“The chemical is only found in pork as breeders had wrongly used it to reduce fat content. The Government has told them to stop using it immediately.”