Materia Medica Malaysiana

Nation faces shortage of oncologists

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said there were only 39 oncologists in the country, including 16 in government hospitals, when it should have at least 100 specialists in the field.
"The recommended ratio is one oncologist for 250,000 people, so based on our population of 24 million, we should have at least 100 oncologists," he said at the launch of the Second Cancer Incidence in Malaysia Report 2003 at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Dr Latiff said the ministry encouraged more doctors to be trained as oncologists, adding that more cancer treatment centres would be set up.
He said Malaysia had 21 centres for radiotherapy and oncology in public and private hospitals. The ministry operates two centres in hospitals and three in universities.
A national cancer institute is also being planned for cancer research and treatment. This is in addition to the Oncological Unit at Putrajaya Hospital, which is the centre for cancer treatment in the country.
On another issue, Latiff said he would soon provide data to show that doctors had been over-prescribing medicine to patients. This followed his statement on Friday that doctors in government hospitals had given longer courses of antibiotics and other medicine than necessary, resulting in wastage and a higher medicine bill.