Citing ongoing Dewan Rakyat debates on the 2025 budget, the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy noted that there have been numerous requests from MPs for the government to build hospitals, clinics and haemodialysis centres in their constituencies.
“We have not heard a single request or proposal to address the massive shortage of doctors, nurses and various medical personnel, affecting both the public and private health sectors.
“This shows an incomplete understanding of what is needed to protect and support our public healthcare system. This is not a computer game where a single click to build a hospital automatically comes with staff.
“We need to invest in recruiting and retaining more healthcare professionals,” Galen Centre CEO Azrul Khalib said in a statement today.
Azrul urged the government to come up with initiatives that would encourage more people to build careers in the healthcare sector.
He added that building more healthcare facilities amid the current lack of manpower would only create further human resource shortages and imbalances.
“We do not have doctors, nurses and medical staff to fill these healthcare facilities.”
At a conference on Oct 25, health deputy secretary-general (finance) Norazman Ayob said the public healthcare system was nearing the end of its capacity due to an overwhelming number of Malaysians with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Norazman was quoted by Code Blue as saying there was an excessive demand for healthcare, leaving 80% of public hospitals with a bed occupancy rate of more than 100%.
Azrul said the rising demand for medical care was due to the prevalence of NCDs. He cited the health ministry’s 2023 health and morbidity survey that found more than half of Malaysians were overweight or obese.
The survey also found that half a million people lived with four NCDs — diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity. The prevalence of NCDs is growing even among children, he said.
“The excessive demand and burden on the healthcare system must be reduced. Malaysians need to take charge and must be encouraged to be healthier and more active. They must care about their health and those of their family members.
“We need to summon the political will and social support to get serious and consistent about policies which affect health and the surrounding environment,” he said.
Azrul also repeated his call for the government to no longer subsidise sugar, which costs taxpayers about RM600 million a year.