MoH takes proactive measures to increase number of specialists - Dr Noor Azmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry (MoH) always takes proactive measures to ensure there is a balance in the ratio of medical specialists to the population, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said currently, MoH has some 6,102 specialists with 5,953 of them with permanent employment status and the remaining 19 on contract.

"The nation, of course, needs more (medical) specialists, and to ensure a balance to the population ratio, the MoH has been proactive.

"For example, we have added training slots for medical officers to undergo specialist training. Some 1,300 slots were allocated for 2021, we have also increased (number of) for the Parallel Pathway programme," he said in the question and answer session today.

Besides this, Dr Noor Azmi said MOH has not only also re-appointed retired specialists but also invited those from the private sector to assist, as well as offer permanent status to specialists on contract if there are vacancies available.

On medical officers allowed to pursue specialist studies, he said MoH offered two routes, one through programmes with local universities and the other via the Parallel Pathway programme.

He said a total of 7,357 permanent status officers had followed the Master of Medicine Expertise Programme while 3,615 officers had pursued the Parallel Pathway program since 2015, including 504 contract officers.

-- BERNAMA