KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Dr RA Lingeshwaran has called for the establishment of a Health Service Commission (SPK) to regulate health care workers independently of the public service framework.
The former senator from the DAP cited the Health White Paper (HWP) – which was passed by Parliament in 2023 – as justification for the establishment of an autonomous SPK, even though the document didn’t suggest forming a Health Service Commission.
Dr Lingeshwaran opined that Health director-general Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab’s proposal for an independent national health human resource governing committee, while well-intentioned, wouldn’t solve root problems, saying health care workers in the Ministry of Health (MOH) are tired of countless committees and task forces without real reform.
“In reality, health care workers are fed up with bureaucratic solutions. They do not need another committee. They are demanding real structural reform,” said Dr Lingeshwaran in a statement today.
“SPK is not merely an administrative reform, but a systemic reform.”
Dr Lingeshwaran noted that only 529 medical graduates reported for duty out of 5,000 available housemanship positions in last January’s intake, which he described as a “code blue” emergency signal for the public health care system.
He explained that an SPK with autonomy in managing human resources, budget, and staffing for the health workforce would be able to accelerate recruitment based on actual clinical needs; offer competitive remuneration and retention schemes, including retention allowances and specialist premiums; and reduce dependence on the constrained Public Service Department (JPA).
An independent Health Service Commission would also be able to balance the supply and demand of the health workforce more sustainably, besides safeguarding the academic integrity of training institutions so that universities do not become mere “labour factories”.
“Each time there is a Cabinet reshuffle, ministers change, yet reforms remain delayed. What changes are the ministers, not the system. The country cannot continue to be trapped in a cycle of leadership changes without real policy transformation,” said Dr Lingeshwaran.
“Therefore, I urge the honourable minister of health to implement this health reform agenda immediately. This is the time to make bold decisions. Do not waste time setting up another committee. Implement the Health Service Commission now.”
Dr Lingeshwaran’s statement followed calls by Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) for the establishment of an SPK to streamline the health workforce pipeline and decentralise health service employment from JPA.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) similarly said the Ministry of Health (MOH) alone shouldn’t be blamed for health worker shortages, as it called for a seamless, end-to-end health care workforce pipeline.
Dr Mahathar recently attributed delays in medical graduates entering service and staff shortages to the siloed operation of multiple agencies involved in the health workforce pipeline, namely the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), JPA, and the MOH.
