KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is evaluating different approaches to station specialists at Community-Based Rehabilitation Centres either full-time or on rotation to strengthen early intervention programmes for children with disabilities.
Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad revealed the ministry is examining a hybrid model that would involve collaborations with universities to facilitate specialist placements.
“Strategic partnerships with higher education institutions could include training programmes, NGO and corporate engagements, and improved cross-ministry cooperation, though this depends on shared resources,” she said in Parliament.
Noraini noted that PDK committees could temporarily address the issue by arranging voluntary specialist visits while long-term staffing solutions undergo review.
She clarified that establishing permanent specialist roles remains under discussion due to budgetary and workforce planning implications.
The deputy minister was responding to Rantau Panjang MP Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff’s query about emulating Singapore’s practice of assigning permanent speech therapists to such centres. – Bernama
