MMA: Sufficient manpower crucial when extending hours at govt clinics

Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai

KUCHING (March 14): The move by the Health Ministry (MoH) to extend operating hours at 52 government clinics can help reduce congestion at public healthcare facilities, but will require sufficient manpower to ensure its success, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

Its president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai in a statement yesterday said having adequate manpower is crucial to ensure current staff are not overworked.

“MMA welcomes the move to extend the operating hours at 52 selected government health clinics as it may be necessary as an immediate and interim solution to ease the current congestion seen at government healthcare facilities.

“Sufficient doctors, nurses and support staff will be crucial to its success,” he said, adding MMA also hopes the MoH will be able to provide the details of its plan to outsource green zone cases to private general practitioners (GPs) as soon as possible.

He was responding to Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s call for private GPs and contract doctors to participate in the initiative to extend operating hours at public health clinics as a way to help the ministry reduce the workload among health workers and provide the best service to patients.

Dr Muruga said with the current level of congestion at public healthcare facilities, the involvement of private GPs would enable them to assist health workers, thus reducing their workload.

“MMA had for many years proposed involving private GPs as a necessary step to strengthening primary care in the country. The private GPs play a key role in the healthcare management of the population and should be included in government healthcare policies,” he said.

According to him, there are about 4,000 new private clinics across the country, some of which were set up and run by young doctors who were previously contract doctors in the system.

“The extended operating hours at these clinics may also be an opportunity for doctors who are no longer in the public healthcare system to come back to serve and earn an income. Some of them include ex-contract doctors who did not get permanent posts or who have left the system for various other reasons.

“For a number of private GPs whose clinics close early, it may also be an opportunity for these doctors to serve and earn an additional income,” he added.

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