Materia Medica Malaysiana

No New Government Hospital For 9th Plan

SIBU, April 23 (Bernama) -- No new government hospital will be built in the country under the Ninth Malaysia Plan because there is a shortage of suitable land and insufficient medical staff to operate them, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
Instead, the government would emphasise upgrading existing hospitals and human resources in all disciplines and sectors, he said.
He said district hospitals would be upgraded with new diagnostic equipment, laboratories and other necessary infrastructures.
Greater emphasis too would be given to public health awareness promotion and education programmes in order to inculcate a healthier lifestyle among the people, he said at a meeting with doctors, nurses and supporting staff of Sibu General Hospital Saturday.
Dr Chua said the perenniel problem of shortages of specialists, doctors, nurses and other supporting staff was affecting the delivery of health services in Sarawak.
He said the state faced a shortage in 12 different disciplines and the Cabinet had been informed of this and other problems.
Peninsular Malaysian doctors were reluctant to serve in the state as they could not get approval to go into private practice in the state after serving in government hospitals.
As a solution, he said, the government would have to send more junior staff to Sarawak.
Doctors would also be sourced from other hospitals where the workload was not heavy, he added.