TAPAH: The Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to place emergency medical specialists at all hospitals within three years.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that to achieve this target, the ministry has begun efforts to place emergency medicine specialists in all hospitals, including non-specialist ones, in stages.
“One of my efforts to make patients, as well as residents, around the hospital want to not just go to a specialist or minor specialist hospital is to place at least two specialists in these hospitals without specialists.
“The first is an EP (emergency physician), trauma specialist while the second is an internal medicine specialist (physician) who will be able to increase the attractiveness for residents (around the hospital) to seek treatment at these hospitals without specialists,“ he said at a press conference here today.
Earlier, Dzulkefly attended a meet-and-greet session with healthcare workers of the Batang Padang district at the Tapah Hospital here today.
He said that the MOH will place emergency medicine specialists in 10 hospitals without specialists nationwide in stages by August 2025 at the latest.
He said that as of today, the ministry had stationed emergency medicine specialists in 15 hospitals without specialists and district hospitals, namely Jitra Hospital, Kuala Nerang Hospital, Sik Hospital, and Yan Hospital in Kedah, as well as Sungai Bakap Hospital and Balik Pulau Hospital in Penang.
Apart from that, other hospitals include Kuala Kangsar Hospital in Perak, Sabak Bernam Hospital and Kuala Kubu Baharu Hospital (Selangor), Alor Gajah Hospital and Jasin Hospital (Melaka), Cameron Highlands Hospital (Pahang), Pasir Mas Hospital and Pasir Putih Hospital (Kelantan) as well as Limbang Hospital (Sarawak).
Dzulkefly said the MOH has also decided to place an emergency medicine specialist at the Tapah Hospital permanently, starting May 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, he also announced that the 24-hour emergency service (at Tanjong Malim Health Clinic) will reopen starting April 15, and so far, its implementation will use existing staff through the active on-call system.
Dzulkefly said the decision was made given the high demand from residents in the area.
“I have reinstated or resumed the 24-hour emergency service (Tanjong Malim Health Clinic), so we hope this matter will be resolved because I have reviewed this proposal (reopening the clinic),“ he also said.
Before this, the cessation office 24-hour emergency services at the clinic received flak from residents who wanted the service to be reinstated due to the distance to the Slim River Hospital from the area.
