THE Health Ministry is discussing directions on staffing and having more beds to resolve issues of overcrowding at government hospital emergency departments, Dr Zaliha Mustafa said.

The health minister said that upon her team’s visit to a busy emergency department at a large quaternary hospital last week, they found that most issues arose because of delayed admission. 

She, however, did not name the hospital. 

“Each emergency department has different challenges. 

“Frontline staff here are struggling because patients who were supposed to be admitted were stuck in the emergency department. Delays in admission have an adverse domino effect.  

“We acknowledge the scale of the problem, as well as the physical and mental fatigue faced by staff and patients on the ground. 

“Internal discussions and direction regarding staffing and opening up of more beds (are being done), as well as empowering leadership on the ground,” she tweeted today.

Recently, a Twitter account of the group championing rights of contract doctors, Hartal Doktor Kontrak, shared a picture of fully occupied beds and a packed emergency department at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. 

Last week, it was reported that Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang, Selangor, had closed its emergency department to non-critical patients due to high patient load. 

A notice was placed at the entrance of the department to inform the public and redirect patients to nearby health facilities. 

Zaliha today said that most issues faced are inherited and systemic. 

She also acknowledged the hardship and struggles faced by medical workers since the Covid-19 pandemic continues to date. 

“Many issues are inherited and systemic but some can be tackled at a local level with sufficient engagement. 

“Many frontliners have worked beyond the call of duty during the pandemic and continue to do so as we face a tsunami of noncommunicable diseases post-pandemic,” she said. 

Zaliha said that the ministry will continue to listen and work on identifying solutions both internally and when advocating for frontliners in their ongoing discussion with the Finance Ministry. – February 6, 2023.