KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — The Ministry of Health currently has only five Family Medicine Specialists (FMS) with a sub-specialty in child health deployed nationwide, while three others are undergoing training.
Utusan Malaysia reported today that Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said this while responding to a question from Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran in the Dewan Negara yesterday.
He added that all specialists are stationed across several states, with two based in Sabah.
“Currently, there are five FMS with a sub-specialty in child health, and three more are in training,” he said.
Dzulkefly also said that the ministry recognises a “significant gap” in skilled personnel, including a low therapist-to-population ratio compared with neighbouring countries, uneven distribution — particularly in Sabah and Sarawak — and limited rural facilities.
To improve services, he said the ministry is implementing telerehabilitation, parent-group interventions, and community outreach in rural areas.
Workforce redistribution by state and requests for additional allied health therapist positions have also been submitted to the Ministry’s Human Resources Division.
Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), the ministry has proposed integrated specialist service clusters in health clinics, combining family medicine expertise, hospital support, and clinical assistance to strengthen early interventions, particularly in rural communities.
