KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is experiencing a "chronic and widespread problem" of an overstretched and overworked public healthcare workforce, which calls for urgent intervention.
The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy called for long-term solutions to address the issue, which it said was mainly fuelled by the shortage of medical personnel in the public healthcare sector.
The health think tank called for the government to form a multi-sectoral task force, comprising of other ministries and agencies, such as the Public Service Department, Human Resources Ministry and Higher Education Ministry to formulate a national health workforce strategy.
It also suggested the government recruit health personnel from overseas to fill the immediate needs, especially in areas of specialised care, besides strengthening allocation for health under the 2023 Budget.
"Our healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors, specialists, medical assistants are underpaid, overworked, overstretched, working in facilities which are increasingly congested with patients, and facing extremely difficult workplace conditions.
"This was described in the Auditor-General's 2018 report," Galen Centre chief executive Azrul Khalib said in a statement today.
"The people who work on the frontlines of healthcare are our greatest asset and are key to delivering high-quality care. They have shown remarkable resilience and commitment. Yet, their concerns appear to not be taken seriously," he said.
Azrul pointed out that the emergency and trauma wards in hospitals have also been negatively impacted by the shortage of medical staff, where they had been described as "war zones" even before the Covid-19 crisis.
"Many of the recently proposed solutions to the congestion in emergency and trauma departments are seen as stop-gap measures.
"Most have already been tried, tested and at times failed because they depend on having sufficient manpower.
"There is excessive workload, burnout amidst widespread anxiety, trauma, and mental fatigue which are causing many staff to decide to leave, causing shortages, and increasing pressure on staff, thus creating a vicious cycle."
The pandemic, he said has exacerbated these long-term issues, weakened parts of the country's healthcare system and caused permanent damage.
Azrul noted that in some hospitals today, people were reported to be waiting between 24 hours and several days for a bed.
He added that with more demand for care as patients pour into hospitals and clinics, healthcare professionals are being forced to choose between care for themselves and care for their patients, which he said is incredibly unfair.
Further, he said heavier working hours, toxic work environments, bullying and the contract worker situation, would drive people into resigning.
"Healthcare workers are still doing 30-hour shifts. Many, especially junior doctors, housemen or medical officers, return home physically and mentally wrecked and exhausted.
"Many are experiencing burnout and there are significant numbers intending to leave or have already left. Some are leaving to work in other countries, or worse, leaving medicine altogether."
Azrul said the task force must to listen to healthcare workers in efforts to form a long-term plan to address recruitment and medical staff retention.
"The government must make the formation of this task force a priority for its first 100 days. This is not business as usual or 'an old story'."
Azrul also said the revised version of the 2023 Budget, which will be tabled on Feb 24, should see the allocation for the Health Ministry increased, which would demonstrate the government's commitment to improving the healthcare sector.