More health clinics operating at night needed
ZULHISHAM ISAHAK
JJOHOR BAHRU - Health clinic services at night time, especially in the cities and densely populated areas, need to be expanded further to provide convenience to those living in the area to receive treatment outside of working hours.
A survey at the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) health clinic on Monday night found that the service provided there was well received especially by the residents.
A patient, Mohd Nor Haidi Abd Wahab, 39, said health clinic service at night was convenient for people like him who worked during the day or office hours.
The lorry driver from Kempas admitted that medical services at night was necessary to help people who did not have time to visit the clinic during the day because of work.
"I came to HSI health clinic because this is the closest government clinic near my house compared to the Mahmooduah health clinic at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA).
"The service here is more comfortable and faster since there is no huge crowd," said the father of two when met at HSI health clinic on Monday night.
He also said he did not need to take the day off from work if he was not too ill and that he was satisfied with the service provided.
Meanwhile, government worker Aiman Othman, 23, from Taman Johor Jaya said medical service at night should be expanded especially for the low-income or B40 groups residence areas as it can save them the medical costs considering that they were unable to afford treatment at private clinics during the night.
Aiman said it was especially helpful for the groups due to the rise in the cost of living.
In Putrajaya, civil servant Nurshafinaz Hamidon, 39, said the waiting period to receive treatment after working hours were shorter.
"The process is faster here. It did not take more than an hour for me to receive treatment," she said.
She added that the initiatives should be expanded to other health clinics.
"Good things should be implemented in other places as well," she said.
The number of employees should be sufficient to avoid overworking.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said the number of staff at health care facilities or government clinics needed to be sufficient to avoid work overload.
He said a sufficient number of doctors, nurses and support staff was crucial to ensure the best services could be provided by the government health care facility.
"Extending operating hours at these clinics can provide an opportunity for doctors who are no longer working in the public health care system, to return to work and earn money.
"For example, former contract doctors who didn't manage to secure permanent positions or those who left for other various reasons.
"It will also give an opportunity to a number of private general medical practitioners (GP) whose clinic closed early, to serve more patients and earn additional income," he said in a statement on Monday.
Dr Muruga Raj said the Health Ministry should also look into more medium and long-term sustainable solution since the initiative to extend operating hours was just a quick solution to overcome overcrowding issue in government hospitals.
"One of the solutions the government had planned is to outsource private GP clinics for green zone cases," he said.
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"It will also give opportunity for a number of private general medical practitioner (GP) whose clinic closed early, to serve more patients and earn additional income," he said in a statement on Monday.
Dr Muruga Raj said the Health Ministry should also look into more medium and long term sustainable solution since the initiative to extend operating hours is just a quick solution to overcome overcrowding issue in government hospitals.
"One of the solution the government had planned is to outsource private GP clinics for green zone cases," he said.
