KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The Health Ministry (MoH) will complete the process of appointing 9,000 contract doctors to permanent positions throughout 2027, effectively ending the interim contract doctor system, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.

He said the initiative would require a somewhat different management approach to expedite the appointments while taking into account the stipulated requirements and the respective recruitment groups or cohorts of doctors.

“We will implement this in a way that may be somewhat innovative to ensure it is addressed as soon as possible. This requires some changes in management, explanation and approach. Don’t worry, we will put an end to it in 2027,” he told reporters after the tabling of Budget 2027 in Parliament today.

When tabling the budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that more than 9,000 contract doctors would be offered permanent positions next year, while doctors who complete their housemanship in the future would be offered permanent posts as medical officers.

Anwar also said that since 2023, the Madani Government had appointed more than 15,000 contract doctors to permanent positions, including 4,000 this year.

Asked whether the initiative could resolve the shortage of doctors, Dzulkefly described it as a positive step that could help address the healthcare workforce challenges faced by the ministry, particularly this year.

He said the RM47.7 billion allocated to the ministry under Budget 2027 comprised RM40.95 billion for operating expenditure and RM6.75 billion for development, enabling it to continue its healthcare reform agenda.

Among the initiatives to strengthen the healthcare workforce was an increase in the Post-Basic Incentive Payment from RM100 to RM200 a month, benefiting 47,000 paramedics and nurses, as well as an increase in the Air Health Services Incentive Payment from RM30 to RM100.

On healthcare services in remote areas, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, Dzulkefly said MoH would continue to strengthen service delivery in line with the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring that no one was left behind.

On a proposal for the ministry to own helicopters for air medical services, he said it preferred leasing them as this was more cost-effective and would spare the ministry the burden of maintaining the assets.

Asked whether the country’s healthcare facilities were under pressure due to the haze, Dzulkefly said ministry facilities remained capable of handling the increase in cases related to air pollution, although respiratory cases had risen significantly.

He advised the public to avoid outdoor activities, particularly when Air Pollutant Index (API) readings exceeded 160 or 200, and to minimise exposure to polluted air, especially among children, the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. — Bernama