By Zaki Salleh
IPOH – Retaining doctors in the public healthcare system has become the top priority for the newly elected President of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Dr Sivanaesan Letchumanan.
He said the move was crucial to ensuring continuity and quality of healthcare services for the people.
According to him, Malaysia is facing growing healthcare demands due to an ageing population and the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
He said training a doctor takes many years and requires significant investment.
“When experienced doctors leave the public system, we do not simply lose members of the workforce, but also their experience, expertise and continuity of patient care,” he said.
Dr Sivanaesan said retaining doctors could not be addressed simply by increasing the number of medical graduates.
Instead, greater attention must be given to career progression, the working environment, professional development and long-term career prospects.
He also identified clearer and more structured pathways for specialisation and subspecialisation as among his key priorities during his tenure.
He said doctors needed a more organised, clear and predictable career pathway to support national healthcare workforce planning.
According to him, better career development opportunities could also help retain talented doctors within Malaysia’s healthcare system.
Meanwhile, he urged the Ministry of Health to fully utilise the private general practitioner (GP) network in tackling NCDs.
He said more than 11,000 private GPs nationwide represented a significant healthcare resource that remained underutilised.
According to him, private GPs located closer to patients’ homes could provide easier access to screening, treatment and regular follow-ups.
He said the private GP network should be integrated more effectively into the country’s NCD management strategy.
Dr Sivanaesan succeeds Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, whose term as MMA president has ended.
