GEORGE TOWN, May 22 — Children with speech and language delays in Penang wait an average of 205 days to see a speech therapist at a government hospital, the state legislative assembly heard today.
State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman, Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, said the number of children with special needs in Penang has continued to rise annually, while the number of speech therapists remains insufficient.
“The number of children with speech or language delays registered in government hospitals in Penang last year was 6,781, while the number of speech therapists under the state health department was seven,” he said in response to a question by Heng Lee Lee (DAP – Berapit) on the number of children with special needs in the state, during the assembly today.
He said this translated to an average waiting time of 205 days for speech therapy treatment for each patient last year.
Gooi added that the state has applied for additional speech therapy positions and raised the issue with the health ministry, but to no avail.
“The feedback we received is that no additional positions will be offered at this time,” he said.
He said the department of paediatrics of the state Health Department is now taking steps to train parents so they can continue treatment with their children independently.
“The health department has conducted various workshops and training sessions for parents so that they can help with their children’s treatment,” he said.
He added that the health department is also proposing collaboration with private hospitals to reduce waiting times for patients.
Gooi said the number of children with special needs in Penang totalled 6,165 as of May 2025, compared to 4,547 in 2021.
A majority of the children had learning disabilities (5,264 as of May 2025), followed by physical disabilities (326), hearing impairment (233), multiple disabilities (173), visual impairment (145), and speech delays (24).
