Malaysian Medics International would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the initiative to amend the Medical Act 1971 in the upcoming Parliament meeting.
We appreciate and understand that this would mark a significant milestone in resolving issues pertaining to the parallel pathway. Moreover, this would also be a vital component in mitigating the health care professional shortage crisis.
A CodeBlue article dated June 6 highlights the input provided by Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on the MOH’s intention to ensure that reforms and a multifaceted approach are taken.
This is related to the current manpower shortage crisis in health care, which is a vital issue, as the mental and physical health of staff are also at stake.
The shortage crisis is more pronounced at emergency departments, with prolonged waiting times.
Moreover, the imbalance of workloads and low salaries have discouraged health care professionals from working in public health care. One solution to this is to introduce social health insurance with co-payment, collaborate with private hospitals. and narrow the salary gap between government and private sectors.
Thus, we humbly call upon the MOH to consider the following:
Clarify The Implementation Of The Plan To Narrow The Gap Between Government And Private Services
The current plan highlights that social health insurance should cover private health care facilities with significantly higher co-payment to allow access for the M40 group.
Moreover, reassessing the salary discrepancies between private and public health is important.
For years, it has been predicted that the burden of the shortage of manpower in health care would pose a huge challenge, and we will soon see it becoming a reality.
Many facilities in Malaysia have already started facing this issue, hence raising doubts as to when this matter would be resolved.
The MOH should proactively engage in this initiative, as the issue of salaries has been a long-standing barrier in the medical field and has brought many challenges for health care professionals.
The MOH should be aware that extending the hours at health clinics and mobilising staff to high-demand departments still require the cooperation of health care professionals.
Hence, it should be understood that the salary increase is justified in terms of the higher workload, the longer duration of services, as well as the rise in the costs of daily living.
The MOH should act fast in resolving matters before the health care field crumbles under the huge burden of the current challenges.
Furthermore, a clear and structured career pathway should be developed for health care professionals in the public sector. This would allow health care practitioners to have an appropriate time frame that prioritises career progression without causing a bottleneck effect.
Clarify The Statistics On The Acceptance Of Social Health Inurance
Social health insurance with co-payment is suggested to be an important step towards a sustainable health care system.
The scheme would be provided by a non-profit-driven government organisation to ensure cost effectiveness and affordability.
However, a challenge that may arise is the acceptance of this solution among Malaysians, as well as its duration in order for full effectiveness and the assurance of a successful outcome.
Therefore, a research or pilot study should be carried out to provide us with the statistics of acceptance among Malaysians of different social classes.
This would provide health care professionals, the government, and Malaysians with relevant information and data transparency in order to generate a more inclusive discussion.
Moreover, including the public would instil a feeling of accountability and empathy for the health care system.
In conclusion, we urge the MOH to consider and address the aforementioned issues promptly. These issues are of great concern for the health care in Malaysia, and should be resolved as soon as possible.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
