ALOR STAR: The country is in need of more emergency specialists, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said today.
He noted that the present number of 300 emergency specialists throughout the country was not enough to meet the nation's needs.
"We need at least 900 emergency specialists, and that is just the bare minimum.
"There is a lot of interest in the field. An average of 200 people apply each year to become emergency specialists, but there are only 60 places available in three universities, namely Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaya (UM).
"To make up for the shortfall, those such as medical officers and doctors stand in temporarily," he said in a press conference after opening the First Malaysia Mass Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Costume programme, held at Aman Central here today.
More than 500 people took part in the programme, which required participants to dress up in superhero costumes and perform CPR. Also present were Kedah Health director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail and Yayasan Jariah Malaysia chairman Mahadzir Abdul Hamid.