Solve the shortages before going strictly by the book

Letter by SS Lim PJ, The Star Online, 14th April 2011

I REFER to “Relief for kidney patients” (The Star, April 13). The comments made by the director-general of health are indeed welcome news for dialysis patients, and the positive tone shows clear willingness to respond to the concerns of the interested parties, especially the patients.

However, allow me to add some perspective to three critical issues.

The requirement for a resident or visiting nephrologist remains a major obstacle to licensing. As the director-general of health noted, there are 618 dialysis units in Malaysia (437 non-government and 181 public dialysis centres), but only about 100 nephrologists.

The mathematics shows that it is difficult for non-government dialysis centres to engage the services of a nephrologist. The Health Ministry needs to address this issue before making it a strict requirement.

Perhaps foreign nephrologists can be allowed to practise in Malaysia while efforts are made to increase the number of doctors being trained in nephrology.

Read letter in full here