THE Health Ministry is aiming to achieve a 1:400 doctor-to-population ratio in the country by 2025, said Health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
At present, he said the doctor-to-population ratio stood at 1:412 in 2022 compared to 1:758 in 2012.
"This ratio of 1:400 would include doctors under the ministry, the Higher Education Ministry, the private sector and others.
"We will continue to improve the ratio," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
In comparison, Singapore has a ratio of 1:270, the United Kingdom 1:357, Australia 1:270, Austria 1:192, Thailand 1:1,111 and Indonesia 1:1,400.
To achieve this, among the steps would be to increase the graduate training slots in the Health Ministry to 12,198 in 2024, he said.
He also said the ministry was studying several proposed new policies for the appointment and placement of medical officers as it plans to reform this area of human resource management.
“We are fine-tuning the proposals to tackle the problems, shortages and maldistribution in one single human resource reform policy for review,” he said in reply to Datuk Seri Sheikh Mohmed Puzi Sheikh Ali (BN-Pekan). - The Vibes, July 1, 2024
