Six-month rural stint for doctors

Star: SARIKEI: The Government had approved in a recent Cabinet meeting to shorten the minimum period for doctors posting to rural areas from one year to six months.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this was to encourage more doctors, especially specialists to serve in rural areas particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.
“We acknowledge there is still a shortage of doctors in Sarawak and Sabah. This decision to shorten the previous require- ment of doctors to serve at least a full year when they are posted to rural areas is one way to overcome the shortage problem,” Liow said at a press conference after launching a health carnival at the Sarikei Hospital.
The 12-day health carnival themed “Closer to You” was the first to be held in the state. During the event, a team of 10 specialist doctors from Peninsular Malaysia will conduct 285 elective surgeries, which are non-emergency surgical procedures to clear backlogged cases.
Other activities included a health aware- ness campaign, health screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, eye checks, blood and organ donation campaign, health talks, seminars and a mass circumcision for boys.
Liow said the hospital had been elevated to a “Minor Specialist Hospital” status with the posting of two resident specialists – Dr Lim Wooi Kok (Paediatrics) and Dr Tan Tze Ling (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) from Peninsular Malaysia.
“One more surgeon who is now undergoing training in Kuching will be posted to Sarikei next year,” Liow said.
He added that every year the Government sent specialist doctors to Sarawak and in 2011, more than 20 had been posted to serve in various hospitals in the state.
Rural hospitals such as Kapit Hospital and Limbang Hospital would also have specialist doctors, he said.
He said the country now produced between 3,500 and 4,000 doctors yearly and this year alone, 800 doctors were given scholarship to undergo specialist training within the country and also abroad.
He said Sarawak was still lagging far behind in term of doctor-population ratio.
“In major cities in Peninsular Malaysia, the ratio is 1-600 people while in Sarawak it is 1-2,000 people,” Liow disclosed, stressing that the Government was com- mitted to reducing the large disparity gra- dually.
Liow also proposed to the state government to convert the old hospital in Sarikei into a clinic.
“The existing clinic has limited space. I hope the state government would agree to my proposal so that more people would benefit from it,” Liow said.
He reiterated that the BN government was serious in upgrading the living standard, economic and social well-being of the people through the transformation of the government, the economy and politics.
“This is not just empty talk. We are fully committed to make it happen,” Liow stressed.
He urged all hospital and health ministry staff to focus on their work as a team so that they could serve the people more effectively.