Healthcare associations have raised alarm over a critical shortage of doctors, specialists and nurses in Malaysia’s public healthcare system, with conditions especially dire in Sabah and Sarawak.
According to New Straits Times, staff shortages have resulted in longer waiting times for surgeries, outpatient care and emergency treatment. Many healthcare workers are working multiple shifts and excessive hours, leading to burnout.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib said Malaysia should have 90,057 active doctors this year based on national targets, but currently has only 71,374. The country faces a shortfall of 10,798 specialists, with only 7,576 currently practicing. The shortage of nurses is equally pressing, with a nationwide gap of about 8,000.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said patients are experiencing unreasonably long waiting times due to the shortage.
Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman said nurse-to-patient ratios in many busy hospitals have stretched to 1:10 or even 1:16, far from the ideal 1:6. Nurses are also burdened with clerical tasks, collecting medications, data collection and audits, contributing to burnout.
Azrul said Sabah and Sarawak face unique challenges, including lower doctor and nurse ratios, limited access to specialists, high staff turnover, inadequate infrastructure and limited training opportunities.
He urged targeted investment in infrastructure, training, long-term incentives and decentralised healthcare planning, with more autonomy for the two states in managing healthcare resources.
Both Dr Kalwinder and Saaidah called for short- and long-term strategies. Dr Kalwinder urged comprehensive workforce planning, improved remuneration, increased on-call allowances, more permanent positions, work-life balance, and clear career progression. Saaidah urged more nursing trainees, additional training institutions, and allowances such as shift allowances, which nurses currently do not receive.
Between 2019 and 2023, 6,417 permanent and contract medical officers and 1,046 specialists resigned. Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad recently announced multi-pronged strategies, including doubling annual intakes at ministry training institutes from 1,500 to 3,000, increasing appointments from 800 to 1,000, and recruiting students from public and private institutions.
A study titled The Future of Health Workforce in Malaysia recommended forming an inter-ministerial governance board to coordinate long-term workforce sustainability.
