KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced a new civil service grade for specialist doctors and dental experts to address the issue of promotion delays and resignations from the public sector.

The prime minister also mentioned in the tabling of Budget 2017 in Parliament the setup of non-profit hospitals which will be operated in collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

This, Najib said, was to reduce the problem of overcrowding in public hospitals.

He said that rates in non-profit hospitals would be similar to those currently imposed in government hospitals.

"In order to reduce overcrowding in public hospitals, the government will cooperate with the private sector or NGOs to operate non-profit charitable hospitals based on government hospital rates,” said Najib in his Budget 2017 speech in the Dewan Rakyat.

"A total of RM20 million is allocated in the form of loans for the purchase of hospital equipment. The government will allocate RM110 million, of which RM70 million is for medical assistance, benefitting nearly 10,000 underprivileged patients.

"To address the issues of specialist doctors leaving the public service and delays in promotion, the government will introduce a grade 56 between grade 54 and JUSA C for medical and dental specialists,” he added.

Najib said that currently, over 2,600 doctors awaiting their housemanship will be absorbed into the civil service under contract by December 2016.

"Nearly 2,600 doctors who were unable to undergo housemanship in any hospitals will now serve on contract. Hopefully, this will be good news to them and their families,” he said.