Today the Dewan Rakyat debated on the supplementary bills of 2006. There was an item on Ministry of Health and I was thinking of something to say on allocation to this ministry.
I then tapped a friend’s mind and asked him for some inspiration. He suggested I speak about the acute shortage of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists in Malaysia, and mental health in general if I had the time.
He asked me to refer to this article and I got most of the other points from other spots on the same blog.
It is shocking that our country has just 165 psychiatrists when we need 719 psychiatrists to meet World Health Organisation’s Psychiatrist and Population ratio.
I also took the opportunity to express my concern about the lack of ambulances in government hospitals, and the usage of poorly-equipped ambulances. The late arrival of ambulances at their critical time has resulted in many deaths..
When Parliamentary Secretary Lee Kah Choon replied me, he admitted that shortage of psychiatrists is a challenge to the Ministry as there were very few applicants for psychiatric courses. He said his ministry will work with other NGOs on this.
He also said that the government will buy 200 ambulances this year.
Ucapan YB Teresa Kok, Ahli Parlimen Seputeh Dalam Perbahasan Anggaran Perbelanjaan Mengurus Tambahan 2006 Pada 23 April 2007 di Dewan Rakyat
Apakah Dasar dan Rancangan Kementerian Kesihatan Menangai Peningkatan Kes Pesakit Mental?
Datuk Pengerusi, saya menyokong tambahan emolumen kepada pegawai perubatan. Di sini, saya ingin membangkitkan isu tentang kekurangan pakar psikiatri di negara kita. Mengikut pengetahuan saya, negara kita yang mempunyai 25 juta rakyat hanya mempunyai 165 pakar psikiatri, angka ini adalah jauh daripada nisbah psikiatri-populasi yang dicadangkan oleh World Health Organisation. Mengikut nisbah organisasi ini, negara kita memerlukan 719 psikiatri, dan 364 orang psikologist klinikal yang mana negara kita hanya mempunyai 33 orang sahaja.
Mengikut kajian yang dibuat oleh Kementerian Kesihatan dalam tahun 2004, penyakit mental merupakan sebab ke empat yang menyumbang kepada kesakitan. Mengikut satu kajian di Malaysia, kita mempunyai lebih daripada 2 juta orang yang berumur 5 tahun ke atas mengidap penyakit masalah psikitari dalam bentuk yang berlainan dan memerlukan bantuan, tetapi hanya 20 peratus daripada mereka yang menerima rawatan.
Di New Zealand, 1 daripada 6 orang penduduk di negeri itu mengidap penyakit “depression” pada tahap tertentu. Saya difahamkan bahawa negara itu tidak hanya mengurung pesakit mental sahaja, tetapi ia juga mempunyai pekerja sosial yang terlatih untuk menjaga dan memberi kaunseling kepada pesakit mental 24 jam seminggu. Pekerja sosial yang menjaga pesakit mental ini mempunyai hubungan rapat dengan jabatan berkaitan yang lain.
Di negara kita, kita membaca berita tentang kes membunuh diri dan kes pembunuhan yang dilakukan oleh pesakit mental hampir tiap-tiap hari. Ini bermaksud, ‘depression’ memanglah satu penyakit yang penting yang amat memerlukan perhatian daripada pihak kementerian. Pada hari ini, kita terbaca tentang beberapa orang remaja berbaring atas landasan keretapi untuk membunuh diri.
Sekiranya kita mengabai golongan pesakit ini, maka mereka akan mempunyai peluang pemulihan yang jauh lebih rendah, jadi adalah penting bagi kita untuk membuat rancangan dan membentuk dasar yang membantu golongan pesakit ini, khususnya pusat kesihatan mental dalam komuniti tempatan, dan mendidik masyarakat kita untuk memahami penyakit mental, di samping menghakiskan sikap diskriminasi dan penghinaan terhadap pesakit mental.
Soalan saya kepada Kementerian Kesihatan, apakah kementerian mempunyai rancangan dan dasar untuk menangani masalah peningkatan kes pesakit mental? Apakah rancangan kementerian untuk menambah bilangan psikiatri di negara kita?
Akhirnya, saya juga ingin tanya apakah kementerian mempunyai langkah untuk menambah kereta ambulan dan menambah-baik perlengkapan dalam kereta ambulan di hospital kerajaan kita. Kita membaca banyak aduan tentang masalah kekurangan ambulan dan kelewatan kereta ambulan kerajaan sehingga pesakit ataupun orang yang ditimpai kemalangan mati sebelum kenderaan ambulan tiba, seperti kes yang berlaku dalam pilihan raya kecil Machap. Apakah kementerian akan memberi lebih peruntukan kepada hospital untuk mengatasi masalah ambulan ini?
Dear Teresa,
The problem in the MOH is they have absolutely no direction. When the US was short of doctors after the second world war, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson made certain their surgeon generals overcame the problem, especially the lack of doctors in the mid-west. And this they did simply by devising a simple qualifying examination and flew plane loads of doctors from India, Pakistan and East Europe. Malaysia can overcome these shortages quite easily but for the protectionist and racist policies of the Ministry of Health. The shortage is not absolute but apparent. Guess who are the victims….patients.
Hi Teresa,
As a psychology student this is a matter I hold very dear at heart. However, it is evident that while countries such as Canada, U.S., Australia (where I’m studying) and in Britian have adequate psychiatrict personnel, Malaysia can not hope to achieve such competence while so many of its basic issues such as education standards, infrastructure, disporpotioned development and others are not solved. It is with regret to note that mental health is not a priority when such problems still exist. Clearly, our country has a long path ahead in curbing such issues. Until then, most graduates will choose to stay abroad where they can utilize their services to the fullest.
Thanks Samad and Helen for your input. Feedback on everything is very important to me. I am not familiar with many subjects outside my area of expertise, hence, I appreciate any help from readers. If there’s anything you want to bring to my attention, please email me at teresablog AT gmail.com. Although I cannot guarantee I can reply to every email, I assure you I read every single email.
After 50 years of independence, we still have only 23% of the requirement of experts in psychological medicine to look after so many Malaysians in need.
Of course other fields of medical specialisation are more lucrative in terms of making money, but there will be a few doctors dedicated enough to take up postgraduate studies in psychological medicine.
Only time will tell if we can meet the WHO ‘target’.
Meanwhile, invite foreign specialists to come into the country to help out.
I really appreciate psychiatrists and psychologists like Professor Maniam of HUKM.
Dr Maniam would be able to make more money if he opted for another field of medical specialisation.
Instead this humble Christian psychiatrist and EFC church leader dedicates himself selflessly to take care of the mentally handicap.
Malaysia needs more doctors like Maniam……Amen