Budget 2027: Health minister vows to complete 9,000 contract-to-permanent doctor transitions

The Health Ministry will appoint 9,000 contract doctors to permanent positions by 2027, ending the interim contract doctor system.

Budget 2027 allocates RM47.7 billion to the Health Ministry, supporting healthcare reform and workforce strengthening initiatives.

The Health Ministry will enhance healthcare services in remote areas and continue leasing helicopters for cost-effective air medical services.

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

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卫生部将在 2027 年前将 9000 名合同医生转为正式职位，结束临时合同医生制度。

2027 年财政预算案拨款 477 亿令吉给卫生部，支持医疗改革和加强医务人员队伍建设的举措。

卫生部将加强偏远地区的医疗保健服务，并继续租赁直升机以提供经济高效的空中医疗服务。

吉隆坡，10月9日讯——卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里·艾哈迈德表示，卫生部将在2027年完成将9000名合同医生转为永久职位的程序，从而有效地结束临时合同医生制度。

他表示，这项举措需要采取一些不同的管理方法来加快任命速度，同时还要考虑到规定的要求以及相应的招聘群体或医生群体。

“我们将以一种可能具有一定创新性的方式来实施这项措施，以确保尽快解决问题。这需要在管理、解释和方法上做出一些改变。请放心，我们将在2027年彻底解决这个问题，”他在今天向议会提交2027年预算案后告诉记者。

首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣在提交预算案时宣布，明年将为超过9000名合约医生提供永久职位，而未来完成实习的医生也将获得医疗官的永久职位。

安瓦尔还表示，自 2023 年以来，马达尼政府已将 15000 多名合同医生转为永久职位，其中包括今年的 4000 名。

当被问及该举措能否解决医生短缺问题时，祖基菲里表示，这是一个积极的举措，可以帮助解决卫生部面临的医疗卫生人员挑战，尤其是在今年。

他表示，2027 年财政预算案中拨给该部门的 477 亿令吉资金包括 409.5 亿令吉的运营支出和 67.5 亿令吉的发展支出，使其能够继续推进医疗改革议程。

为加强医疗保健队伍，政府采取的举措包括将基础后奖励金从每月 100 令吉提高到 200 令吉，使 47,000 名医护人员受益；以及将航空医疗服务奖励金从 30 令吉提高到 100 令吉。

祖基菲里表示，卫生部将继续加强偏远地区（特别是沙巴和砂拉越）的医疗保健服务，以实现全民健康覆盖 (UHC) 的目标，确保不让任何人掉队。

对于一项关于该部应拥有直升机用于空中医疗服务的提议，他表示，该部更倾向于租赁，因为这样更具成本效益，并且可以减轻该部维护资产的负担。

当被问及该国的医疗设施是否因雾霾而面临压力时，祖基菲里表示，尽管呼吸道疾病病例显著增加，但卫生部的设施仍然能够应对与空气污染相关的病例增加。

他建议公众避免户外活动，尤其是在空气污染指数（API）读数超过160或200时，并尽量减少接触污染空气，特别是儿童、老年人和患有基础疾病的人群。——马新社

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