KUCHING: Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed that 98 per cent of the surgical backlogs in Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals had been cleared as of November 30, 2022.
He said the backlog of these surgery cases was due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit Malaysia two years ago.
“As of September 2021, there are 57,355 elective backlog cases in MOH hospitals, of which 93.8 per cent are surgical-based.
“However, surgical cases from certain disciplines such as Cardiothoracic Surgery and Paediatric Surgery are still facing long waiting times due to the limited number of surgeons, nurses, paramedics, and hence OT time.
“For Paediatric Surgery, most cases on the waiting list for Paediatric Surgery are hypospadias cases,” he said in his opening remarks during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Academy for Silent Mentor (AFSM) Tripartite Conference on Healthcare Challenges in the 21st Century at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.
He said with improved vaccination coverage of the population, the COVID- 19 admission rate began to reduce.
“This resulted in the reopening of more Operation Theatres (OTS) and more hospital beds being made available for surgical patients.
“In addition, extended hours of OT, weekend OT and mass surgery initiatives have been implemented to reduce the backlog cases as well as collaboration with University Hospitals, Armed Forces Hospitals, Private Hospitals, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Rotary Club,” he added.
Meanwhile, on another note he said that the provision of healthcare for urgent emergencies and trauma cases in remote and rural environments remains a challenge faced by Malaysia and many parts of the world, especially developing nations.
“I am pleased that the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and the AFSM have identified this as another healthcare challenge in the 21st century.
“The MOH has a wealth of experience, expertise, and innovations on this subject, and we are pleased to contribute to the Remote, Rural, and Urgent Healthcare Symposium and workshops,” he told.
