PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia needs more pathologists as it is considered the core organ of healthcare services.
Deputy Health (Medicine) director-general Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar said this today, adding that there were 350 pathologists serving at 145 healthcare facilities run by the ministry nationwide.
“We need to train more people in the field of pathology because it is deemed the `heart’ of the country’s healthcare services. It provides support services for all diseases.
“Pathologists will provide diagnosis and follow-up analysis. They provide crucial information not only on the disease, but also on the patient’s development.
“They work behind the scenes and quite low-key. But, they are the actual heroes in the healthcare services as their expertise is invaluable,” Dr Azman told reporters after the Malaysia International Pathology and Cancer Day 2018 here.
He said efforts to boost Malaysia internationally in medicine-related fields must continue so that society could have easy access to quality healthcare services.
“These measures are being supported by existing infrastructure available at hospitals nationwide which is at par or even better in the world especially in cancer treatment, medicine as well as surgery,” he said, adding that public and private pathology services and laboratory accreditation which was recognised globally via the MSISO:15189 and its equivalent would continue to be implemented at all hospitals and pathology facilities under the ministry.
Health Ministry’s National Pathology Services head Dr Arni Talib said about 70 per cent of disease treatment relied on pathology lab tests, which showed the significance of the said field in the country’s healthcare service system.