Latest news with #AseanDengueDay2025
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Health Ministry says committed to retaining doctors, expediting permanent appointments
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry reaffirms its commitment to retaining doctors and healthcare workers within Malaysia's public health system, despite having no legal authority to prevent them from accepting job offers abroad. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry was implementing various measures to encourage healthcare workers to stay, including expediting permanent position appointments among contract doctors. "We cannot block cross-border recruitment, it's an individual right. This is also aligned with the Mutual Recognition Arrangement and the Asean Framework Agreement on Services. "These agreements allow for labour mobility across Asean countries, as mutually agreed. That said, we want our doctors, specialists, and nurses with post-basic training to stay with us," he told reporters at the national-level combating Aedes mega programme in conjunction with Asean Dengue Day 2025. He was responding to viral social media claims that hospitals in Singapore were actively recruiting Malaysian public healthcare workers, particularly doctors, with lucrative salary offers. It is understood that a direct recruitment session for doctors and general practitioners will be held at a hotel here next month. Dzulkefly said the ministry was currently expediting the transition of contract doctors to permanent positions, given the country's critical need for medical professionals. "We won't delay; we are expediting the process to absorb contract workers into permanent roles. As soon as there are vacancies, we will act," he said. He explained that the contract doctor system was initially introduced to address the surge in medical graduates and the limited number of permanent posts over the past decade. "That situation no longer applies, as the number of medical graduates has dropped significantly. There should now be enough positions available for new permanent appointments," he added. – Bernama
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Malaysia records 58.6% drop in dengue cases as of July 5
KUALA LUMPUR: Dengue cases in the country dropped to 32,299 between Jan 1 and July 5 this year, compared to 78,068 cases during the same period last year, a decrease of 58.6%. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said during the same period this year, 21 deaths were recorded, compared to 65 deaths in the same period in 2024. "This reduction is not a ticket for the public to be complacent, especially since globally, the rise in dengue cases is showing a deeply worrying trend," he said in his speech at the national level Gotong-Royong Mega Perangi Aedes 1.0 programme (Aedes prevention clean-up) in conjunction with Asean Dengue Day 2025 at the Seri Kota public housing in Bandar Tun Razak, here Saturday (July 12). Also present at the event were Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad. Dzulkefly said globally, World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics showed that dengue cases surged from 505,430 cases in 2000 to 14.3 million cases in 2024, an increase of more than 28 times. He said WHO statistics also showed that the number of dengue-related deaths worldwide rose from 960 in 2000 to 9,508 in 2024, representing nearly a tenfold increase over the past 25 years. To curb dengue in Malaysia, he said various efforts would continue to be implemented under a whole-of-nation approach to ensure the public had a high level of awareness regarding environmental cleanliness and embraced dengue prevention practices as part of their daily routine. "This includes search-and-destroy activities to eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding grounds inside and outside the home by spending at least 10 minutes each week, and making the One Hour Malaysia Clean Up initiative a regular monthly activity. "Members of the public must also seek immediate medical attention at nearby health facilities if they experience fever or other dengue symptoms," he added. The gotong-royong (community clean-up) programme was held with the cooperation of residents of Seri Kota public housing in Bandar Tun Razak, volunteers from the Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI) team, and staff from the Bandar Tun Razak MP's office. - Bernama
