Retaining Doctors In Public Healthcare A Top Priority For New MMA President

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Retaining doctors in the public sector will be the top priority of newly elected Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr L. Sivanaesan, as Malaysia grapples with growing healthcare demands, an ageing population and an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

He said the issue of retaining doctors must go beyond simply increasing the number of medical graduates, with greater attention needed on career progression, working conditions, professional development and long-term prospects within the public healthcare system.

“We need to look at why doctors leave and what can be done to make staying in the public healthcare system a more sustainable and attractive career choice,” he said in his inaugural speech at the MMA Annual Banquet in Ipoh last night. The text of his speech was issued here today.

He said a clearer and more structured pathway for doctors seeking to specialise and subsequently subspecialise would also be a key priority during his tenure.

Uncertainty over career progression, he said, could affect both workforce planning and efforts to retain experienced medical professionals.

Dr Sivanaesan’s priorities come amid renewed concerns over the safety and welfare of healthcare workers serving remote communities, following last Tuesday’s helicopter tragedy in Sarawak that claimed five lives, including four healthcare workers on a Flying Doctor Service mission.

He said the tragedy was a stark reminder of the risks faced by healthcare workers who travel to difficult-to-reach areas to provide essential medical services.

He also said the MMA will continue engaging stakeholders on issues affecting the private healthcare sector, particularly those involving third-party administrators and insurers.

Dr Sivanaesan called for greater use of Malaysia’s more than 11,000 private general practitioners in preventing, detecting and managing NCDs.

He said private GPs, who are often located closer to patients’ homes, could complement public healthcare services by providing more convenient access to regular follow-up care for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Sivanaesan also expressed confidence that the Ministry of Health’s “One Person, One Record” initiative, expected to be launched within months, would facilitate closer integration between public and private healthcare providers through secure sharing of validated digital medical records.

He said the initiative could help establish public-private NCD referral pathways before the full national electronic medical records rollout expected in 2028 or 2029.

-- BERNAMA