Transformation, Increasing Doctors and Pharmacists Population ...



"Private Clinics are shutting down because of rising cost and stiff competition" said a featured article in the STARMETRO dated 9th July 2014
 
According to the writer "For decades, the medical profession has been a popular choice but the surge of new doctors and mushrooming clinics especially in the cities, has led to 500 clinics ceasing operation since 2004. There are currently 8,500 general private clinics in Malaysia but the number is slowly dropping".
 
This is alarming especially the Country is still having more doctors registering annually.

From the last count, there are 33 medical schools in the country and there are also a lot of Malaysians who go overseas to study. The estimated number of doctors entering the market is about 3,000 each year.

According to Health statistic, Malaysia had already achieved the World Health Organisation standard of 1:600 doctor-to-population ratio.

There is a strain on the training facilities. After the mandatory compulsory training and service, the newly graduated doctors will then flood the market for job opportunities.

Meanwhile, the number of Pharmacy Schools stand at 19 with the rate of graduates produced at 900 to 1200 per year. The WHO guidelines of 1:2000  ratio will be achieved in 2018, if not earlier, considering there are many more who will be returning from overseas.  

Thus there is a need to manage the influx of new doctors and pharmacists entering the work force each year.

Peering into the immediate future, Healthcare transformation is inevitable, not only to maximise the capacity of resources, but also to manage public spending on healthcare cost and optimisation of delivery quality health outcome to the patient and state.

Innovative plans, must be practical and realistic, thoroughly thought through, without any kinks, must be implemented with transparent funding program.

Challenges like "having more medical specialists rather than general practitioners", "creating seamless access to both public and private medical facilities by patients", "Healthcare Financing Scheme", "Dispensing Separation", options for "alternate therapy" etc must be encouraged and resolved.

The implementation of this Transformation Program, with stakeholders' support, must be measurable, with good governance and transparency in place, be made accountable to the public .

/16-07-2014


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