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Budget 2027: Medical groups hail end to contract doctor system, enhanced public-private synergy but seek more on retention

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Healthcare stakeholders had mixed responses to the national health allocations announced in Budget 2027, with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)...

Malay MailMilad Hassandarvish2026-10-09 19:10查看原文 ↗

2027年预算案：医疗团体欢迎终止合同医生制度，加强公私合作，但要求在留住医生方面采取更多措施。

Healthcare stakeholders had mixed reactions to Budget 2027, with the MMA applauding the end of the contract doctor system and APHM supporting public-private cooperation.

MMA highlighted the need for a strategy to retain healthcare workers and emphasised strengthening primary care to tackle non-communicable diseases.

APHM welcomed initiatives to reduce patient waiting times and highlighted the potential benefits of faster licensing for Malaysia's medical tourism industry.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Healthcare stakeholders had mixed responses to the national health allocations announced in Budget 2027, with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) applauding the move to end the contract doctor system while highlighting critical gaps in workforce retention

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM), meanwhile, welcomed measures to boost public-private cooperation.

The Ministry of Health’s allocation has increased to RM47.7 billion, from RM46.5 billion in 2026.

MMA president Dr Sivanaesan Letchumanan described the commitment to end the contract doctor system as a major win for the profession, noting that over 9,000 contract doctors are set to be offered permanent positions in 2027.

“This is a significant milestone and addresses one of MMA’s longstanding calls. We commend the Government for taking this important step towards providing greater job security and career certainty for our young doctors,” he said.

He, however, noted that permanent appointments must be accompanied by a broader strategy to retain healthcare workers.

Malaysia faces a shortage of nearly 11,000 specialists, he said, with demand for specialist care expected to rise amid the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and an ageing population.

“We cannot afford to lose more specialists when we urgently need to train and retain more of them,” he said, calling for greater investment in specialist and subspecialist training, career progression, fair remuneration and better working conditions.

MMA also said more emphasis should be placed on strengthening primary healthcare to tackle NCDs.

The country’s network of private general practitioners remains underutilised and could play a greater role in prevention, early detection and long-term disease management, Sivanaesan said.

“Strengthening primary care is essential to reducing avoidable hospital admissions and easing pressure on specialist services,” he said.

Sivanaesan said the success of Budget 2027 should be measured not only by its allocations, but by improvements in patient care, waiting times, workforce retention and access to healthcare.

MMA reiterated its call for a national healthcare workforce distribution dashboard, providing transparent information on staffing levels and shortages at individual public hospitals and clinics. The data could support workforce planning and help direct resources to areas of greatest need, it said.

The association also noted that the RM1.2 billion allocation for hospital and clinic maintenance was unchanged from 2026, despite ageing facilities and growing maintenance needs.

It called for sufficient funding to address manpower shortages in Sabah and Sarawak, including better incentives and career opportunities, and reiterated its call to restore the previous percentage-based Regional Incentive Payment.

Meanwhile, APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh welcomed measures to reduce patient waiting times, including a RM200 million allocation for outsourcing patients to other hospitals and expanded sessional arrangements for private-sector specialists, with the maximum engagement period extended.

APHM also welcomed Budget 2027’s reflection of work on billing transparency, saying it looked forward to further discussions with stakeholders on implementation.

Dr Kuljit said the e-CKAPS portal, which is due to enable private healthcare facilities to be licensed entirely online from 2027, targets a reduction of up to 65 per cent in processing times.

He said faster licensing could also support Malaysia’s medical tourism sector.

“What matters most is not the size of the budget increase but the outcome for patients.

“APHM stands ready to work closely with the Health Ministry and other stakeholders to turn these measures into real improvements on the ground,” he said.

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医疗保健利益相关者对 2027 年预算案的反应不一，MMA 对合同医生制度的结束表示赞赏，APHM 则支持公私合作。

MMA强调需要制定留住医护人员的策略，并强调要加强基层医疗以应对非传染性疾病。

APHM对减少病人等待时间的举措表示欢迎，并强调了加快马来西亚医疗旅游业审批流程的潜在好处。

吉隆坡，10月9日讯——医疗卫生利益相关者对2027年财政预算案中公布的国家医疗拨款反应不一。马来西亚医学协会（MMA）对终止合同医生制度表示赞赏，但同时也强调了医疗人员流失方面存在的关键问题。

与此同时，马来西亚私立医院协会（APHM）对加强公私合作的措施表示欢迎。

卫生部的拨款已从 2026 年的 465 亿令吉增加到 477 亿令吉。

马来西亚医学协会主席西瓦纳桑·莱楚马南博士将结束合同医生制度的承诺描述为该行业的重大胜利，并指出，2027 年将有超过 9000 名合同医生获得永久职位。

“这是一个重要的里程碑，回应了马来西亚医学协会长期以来的呼吁。我们赞扬政府采取这一重要举措，为我们的年轻医生提供更大的就业保障和职业发展前景，”他说。

但他指出，永久性任命必须辅以更广泛的留住医护人员的战略。