Anwar wants health ministry to speed up doctor hiring
PETALING JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the health ministry to expedite the filling of more than 4,000 permanent government doctor positions, according to government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said Anwar raised the matter at today's Cabinet meeting, expressing concern that the hiring process was moving too slowly.
'Initially, the health ministry expected most of the positions to be filled by November, but the prime minister felt that timeline was too drawn-out. As a result, the ministry has been asked to fast-track the process.
'There is an urgent need to fill these vacancies. It's not a small number,' Fahmi told a press conference at the communications ministry in Putrajaya today.
He said health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has given his commitment to accelerate and simplify the recruitment process without compromising necessary procedures.
On Tuesday, Anwar, while announcing new initiatives for the people, said the government would fast-track the filling of 4,352 permanent positions for government doctors this year, including contract-appointed medical officers.
He said the move was driven by the critical need for more doctors in the healthcare sector.
The health ministry is also preparing a paper for the Cabinet to address the ongoing nationwide shortage of healthcare personnel.
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