OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN HEALTHCARE AND TOURISM BY DR. H. KRISHNA KUMAR PRESIDENT MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (MMA) [email protected] CURRENT SITUATION • Excessive number of medical schools • Recognising > 350 medical schools overseas • Overproduction of new doctors • > 5000 / year • Job availability [email protected] • Training opportunities limited • Increased resignation of doctors (specialists) from the public to private sector • Reducing trainers • Quality of production [email protected] KADAR DOKTOR MELETAK JAWATAN DI SEKTOR AWAM • • • • • • • • Alternative pathways to overcome the lack of specialists in Sarawak Vacancies for specialists: Sarawak hospitals are facing a shortage of specialists. KUCHING: The Government is making efforts to step up the training of local doctors as specialists to overcome the shortage in Sarawak. Assistant Health Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said the Health Ministry had doubled the number of places for specialist Master’s programmes in the state from 300 to 600 starting this year.He said the ministry also encouraged medical officers to take up alternative pathways towards specialist qualifications by sitting for overseas examinations such as Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). In addition, he said the ministry had commenced a specialist grooming programme whereby medical officers can be placed in referral hospitals or specialist clinics as preparation for further studies in specialisation.“Medical officers who serve in district hospitals in Sarawak have the advantage of receiving extra marks in the selection for Master’s programmes,” he told Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (BN-Bukit Kota) in the State Legislative Assembly yesterday. To a supplementary question, Dr Jerip said there were currently 248 specialists distributed among the major hospitals in the state, comprising the Sarawak General Hospital, Sibu Hospital and Miri Hospital, as well as several divisional hospitals.He said there were also 942 medical officers and 499 house officers throughout the state. On vacancies for specialists, he said there were none at present. But this doesn’t mean we do not need more specialists. “It is because it takes time to create specialist posts, so we have some specialists who are currently serving as senior medical officers because the posts have not been created yet.” OPPORTUNITIES • Lots of private hospitals opening up • Looking for specialists • Beds always full [email protected] STATISTIK 1995 Doktor Peratus Katil Peratus Swasta 5200 55% 8803 21% Kerajaan 4400 45% 26,896 79% Published: Sunday November 16, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM Updated: Sunday November 16, 2014 MYT 10:03:15 AM Iskandar Malaysia to have at least 25 hospitals NUSAJAYA: More foreigners, especially from Singapore, are expected to come to Iskandar Malaysia to seek medical treatment with the setting-up of at least 25 hospitals, including private specialists centres by 2016.One of the health industry members involved – IHH Healthcare Bhd – has invested over RM400mil for the first phase of its Gleneagles Medini Hospital here. Its CEO and managing director Dr Tan See Leng said that the 300-bed hospital, which is set to open its doors to the public by June next year, would have an initial capacity of 148 beds“With the setting up of the hospital right at the heart of the Iskandar region here, we hope to attract foreigners, especially Singaporeans to seek medical treatment at our hospital. “The rates will be relatively cheaper for Singaporeans to get medical treatment in Johor Baru compared to what they will be paying in the republic,” he said yesterday after the topping-up ceremony of the construction of the first phase of the hospital building.It was also attended by Johor Health and Environment committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat.Dr Tan said other than Singaporeans, the company was also targeting middle-class Indonesians visitors. “GMH will offer a comprehensive range of medical facilities, including cardiology, ear, nose and throat, obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology, ophthalmology and orthopaedics.“A total of 138 medical suites will be leased for specialists who wish to set up their own clinics and practices within the hospital premises,” he added. Dr Tan, who is also the group CEO and MD of Parkway Pantai Ltd, IHH’s largest operating subsidiary, added that the company was also set to open a Gleneagles hospital in Kota Kinabalu next year.Meanwhile, Ayub said that the Johor government hoped that the new Gleneagles Medini hospital would help boost the state’s medical tourism activites. “The Iskandar region will see development of some 25 government and private hospitals by 2016, in line with our focus to build a medical hub within the region here. “Plans to construct two more government hospital, namely Hospital Sultanah Aminah II and Hospital Pasir Gudang, are also on track,” he added. CHALLENGES • GOVERNMENT • PDPA • GST • PHFA [email protected] 07/24/12 [email protected] Any questions?? THANK YOU