KUALA LUMPUR — The Health Ministry says it is in the final stages of resolving several administrative and bureaucratic hurdles affecting the training and development pathways for medical specialists.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry has already identified key bottlenecks that need to be addressed to accelerate the production of specialists in the public healthcare system, Bernama reported.
“Yes, I am aware there may be bureaucratic constraints, but all these issues will be addressed. We are now in the final stages of ensuring that we can overcome them,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Health and Sarawak Energy (Sarawak Energy) for the construction of the Bakun-Murum Health Clinic here today.
Dzulkefly was responding to reports that Malaysia is facing a shortage of about 11,000 medical specialists nationwide, a development that has raised concerns over the public healthcare system’s capacity to meet rising demand.
He clarified that the reported shortage spans both the public and private healthcare sectors.
Dzulkefly said efforts to increase the number of specialists within the ministry are being implemented in stages and aligned with infrastructure development.
“I must emphasise that the expansion of our specialist workforce is usually undertaken in tandem with improvements and additions to healthcare infrastructure.
“That is why the increase in specialist numbers must be carried out progressively and continuously, based on current needs and priorities. We have our planning in place, and the development of our specialist workforce is synchronised with the requirements of healthcare facilities,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Health is currently using a cluster crisis management system as an interim measure to manage existing pressures while longer-term solutions are being finalised.
The approach involves coordination among hospitals within the same cluster and health clinics, including redeployment and reorganisation of healthcare personnel based on operational needs.
“The most important thing is that healthcare services remain uninterrupted. We are fully aware of the pressures faced by the workforce, but we are addressing them through this cluster crisis management approach while more comprehensive solutions are being finalised,” he said. — June 19, 2026