MoH urges private GPs, contract doctors to support public hospitals, clinics

KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry is hoping to receive support from general practitioners (GP) from private clinics and contract doctors to support the extended hours of 52 public clinics.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the move would allow more medical personnel to support the hospitals and public clinics nationwide.

“We hope to have more doctors for the extended hours, apart from the doctors in service.

“We would like to invite doctors from outside to do locum or GPs who are interested in helping to run these extended operating hours programmes,” she told a press conference after launching a coffee book table on Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL)’s experience in handling the Covid-19 here this evening.

In attendance were HKL director, Datin Dr Rohana Johan, and senior management of HKL.

At the event, Dr Zaliha also announced RM1 million assistance for the hospital to purchase assets.

It is learnt that the monetary assistance for the hospital, among others, was for the procurement of medical equipment, which includes b-scan machines, laptops, and continuous passive motion machines.

She also said the ministry would provide a special allocation soon for HKL to embark on its digitalisation exercise.

However, the minister did not elaborate on the specific amount of allocation and its digitisation phases.

At the event, Dr Rohana, in her briefing to the minister, explained that medical records of 16,000 patients were stored manually in Wisma Kayu.

“We hope that all the medical records can be digitalised, for better management of the hospital and patients, and that it could be materialised before I retire. If not all, at least half of it,” she said.

Dr Rohana also raised concern about the ageing hospital’s vehicles.

“About three-quarters of the vehicles are considered ‘menopause’. Only a few can be considered ‘teenagers’,” she added.

Last month, in an exclusive podcast interview with The Vibes, Dr Zaliha had stated that an electronic system on patient records will be introduced in stages.

“It is very essential. (There’s) no denying that records digitalisation is a necessity at the present time,” she said, adding that a version of this was already in place in certain hospitals.

“But I think it needs to be strengthened, expanded and upgraded. Now we are coming up with the new one – EMR or electronic medical records – and this is very important,” the minister said. – The Vibes, March 17, 2023