IT is not wrong to offer medical aid to Palestinians suffering in the Israel-Gaza war. However, Malaysia needs to be fully equipped to handle the additional burden before taking on such a responsibility.

The move should not be a publicity stunt but a well-considered decision, given the current state of healthcare in the country.

Just days after The Malaysian Insight reported that government hospitals are in dire need of equipment and supplies, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced at a rally that Malaysia is ready to offer medical aid to Palestinians.

Anwar said he is seeking international assistance to facilitate humanitarian support to bring some of the injured Palestinian women and children to Malaysia for treatment.

One can only hope the prime minister made the announcement after careful consideration, rather than as a spur-of-the-moment decision to garner support from the Malays.

Doctors in the public service who spoke to The Malaysian Insight said they face medical equipment shortages when treating patients in government hospitals.

Despite the large funding the Health Ministry receives – RM41.2 billion, more than 10% of Budget 2024 – government healthcare facilities continue to lack essential disposable medical and protective equipment to treat patients. This highlights that even Malaysians are not receiving adequate medical attention and treatments.

Moreover, the country is already facing a worrying shortage of medical personnel, leaving healthcare workers stretched to their limits. A recent survey by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) found that about 95% of public healthcare facilities nationwide are struggling with insufficient manpower.

Recently, the Hulu Langat district health office capped maternity leave at 60 days for all medical officers in the district due to a “critical shortage” of MOs. This was done after seven medical officers went on maternity leave simultaneously in several health clinics in June and July. It required the intervention of Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to rescind the order and restore the 90-day maternity leave.

As it stands, several reports have highlighted the overflowing patients and long waiting lines at public hospitals, and it is well-known that Malaysian doctors are underpaid and overworked. Even MMA has noted that not only junior doctors and medical officers face these issues, but specialists have also complained of unfair compensation.

Bringing in more patients, especially those from a war-torn country, would only add pressure and workload to the already overburdened healthcare workers.

Furthermore, those injured in conflict or war require specialised wound management, care, and treatment. It is not as simple as prescribing paracetamol and painkillers.

With limited resources – both medical equipment and manpower are lacking – how can Malaysia manage this? Is the government planning to hire more healthcare workers? Where would the funds come from? Even then, the funds would be better spent on procuring replacement healthcare equipment and supplies.

The government and the prime minister need to think through this plan thoroughly before committing to such a move. They must address local issues first before extending help elsewhere. – August 8, 2024.