OCTOBER , 2023 | THE HEALTH
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| The Health says ... |
Huge RM41.2b healthcare boost but …
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THE Health Ministry received a record RM41.2 billion allocation in Budget 2024 compared to RM36.3 billion previously . The folks at the Health Ministry must be pleased with the RM4.9 billion increase . It was , after all the biggest increase given by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to any Ministry .
This massive allocation , however did little to sufficiently address the pressing issues relating to healthcare staffing . There is no point in upgrading public healthcare facilities , equipment and buildings when there are insufficient trained personnel to operate them .
There is a dire need for trained staffers and specialists , especially in mental health and geriatric care . Such staffing issues have been festering for too long and must be addressed decisively by the government .
Public healthcare workers want more support at their workplace . Feedback from them in a recent report by an independent task force showed a dire need to revamp the working culture nationwide .
More than 110,000 health ministry staffers were surveyed in the report following the death of a junior doctor from the Penang Hospital on April 17 , 2022 . The report revealed that physical , emotional and mental exhaustion , coupled with workplace stress , contributed to unprofessional behaviour among staff , such as bullying .
Why bullying is still ongoing despite government assurances in recent years is mind boggling . Previous Health Ministers were all talk with little action . Let ’ s hope Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa walks the talk .
Also , is it so difficult to stem the brain drain of doctors in public service by giving them a better deal ? Just improve their remuneration , promotion opportunities and instil a better working environment .
Take the case of bullying of junior doctors in public service . A recent Malaysian Medical Association ( MMA ) survey showed 30 to 40 per cent of doctors in the country experienced some form of bullying in their career . Are their heads of departments so helpless that they can ’ t address a simple yet serious issue such as bullying ?
It is not surprising there has been a 1,131 per cent increase in the resignation of Malaysian contract doctors from 2017 to 2022 . The figures have been rising every year .
Therefore , unless we look at the pressing issues that affect doctors , nurses and healthcare professionals including administrative staff , increased allocations to improve health infrastructure will come to nought .