KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is asking the Civil Service Department to increase the number of doctors in government hospitals.
Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this was needed as doctors now were facing a huge workload at government hospitals.
He said the move would also help curb the trend of housemen leaving government hospitals to join the private sector at the end of their contracts.
“An increase in placements for doctors at government hospitals will allow us to take in housemen who have ended their two-year contracts. When we have no placements for them, they are forced to work in the private sector.
“So, it is important that the Civil Service Department consider our request for additional placements for doctors at government hospitals,” he said.
Dzulkefly was speaking to reporters after a surprise visit to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
He also visited the Kuala Lumpur Health Clinic in Jalan Fletcher and the Women and Children’s Hospital.
The surprise visits were his first after taking over as Health Minister. They were made so that he could see for himself the operations and condition of the three facilities as well as get feedback from patients and ministry staff on the ground.
Accompanying him during the visit was Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.