Foreign govts to help recruit specialists

By Desiree Tresa Gasper, The Star

JOHOR BARU: The Health Ministry will work directly with the governments of Egypt, India and Pakistan to hire qualified medical specialists to help resolve the shortage of these experts in Malaysia.

The ministry previously advertised in the foreign media for specialists but those who applied were not very good, minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

“The doctors who replied to our advertisements were qualified but many of them were sent back because of attitude problems,” he told reporters during a visit to the Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim Hospital in Kulai near here, yesterday.

“Of course, these doctors also had to go through an interview locally.

“But, sometimes, they could not perform according to our expectations,” he said.

“By working directly with the governments, we would be able to hire better doctors, as they would be vetted by both the foreign and local governments,” he said.

Liow said the Egyptian health ministry submitted a list of 58 specialists who would be recruited to work in local hospitals or medical facilities.

“The Egyptian government has given these specialists sabbatical leave.

“So, many of them are more than willing to leave their country and serve here,” he said, adding that the agreement was for these doctors to serve only for two years.

Liow said the same system would be applied to recruit specialists from India and Pakistan. On another matter, Liow said he would be asking for more allocations from the Finance Ministry for additional medical supplies in Johor.

“I have been informed that the state needs RM22mil worth of additional medical supplies,” he said, adding that he would forward the proposal soon.