IT is a piece of happy news for all medical students that the Health Ministry (MOH) is planning to give 1,500 permanent positions every year to contract officers.   

According to Bernama, the MOH has approved 4,053 out of 8,672 initial applications for permanent positions involving contract doctors, dental officers and pharmacists for this year. However, what about the future of the balance of these medical students? 

The Government must think about the best way to cope with these brilliant students’ futures. These students are from various backgrounds and some are from low-income families. All those who got to this stage based on their merits must be assisted.  

How do we solve this issue? Or will we sweep the issue under the carpet as usual? 

I suggest the Government and the MOH take over all these private medical institutions and make them Government-owned, so that the people can be served without any restriction. 

As of 2019, there were around 154 Government hospitals and 250 private hospitals in Malaysia. This shows that private medical centres are more in number than Government Hospitals. 

I also urge the Government to stop doing business in medicine. Billions of ringgits have been traded in medical fields and these tycoons make money from people’s lifetime savings and assets.  

I don’t mind if private hospitals get money from the filthy rich who don’t know what to do with their money. My concern is for the bottom 40 and middle 40 income (B40 and M4) groups who lose their life savings as a result of costly bills from private hospitals.  

The Government is responsible for B40s and M40s choosing private hospitals for their medical crises. Why do they need to wait more than a month to get the medical treatment at the National Heart Centre (IJN)? Why do Government hospitals not have sophisticated devices compared to private hospitals?  

Is this purposely done by the Government so that private hospitals can make money? 

To overcome the issues, the Government, if it really intends to help B40s and M40s, must take over or buy over all private medical institutions to serve the people with quality medical services. They should also stop renewing these institutions’ licences. 

Let’s come together to help all Malaysians without fear and favour. – Aug 18, 2022 

Pappa Raidu Veraman is the founder and adviser of the Malaysian Indian Voice non-governmental organisation (NGO). He is also the assistant organising secretary for DAP Selangor. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/high-time-the-govt-takes-over-all-private-medical-institutions/