Chua today proposed that Malaysia establish a health commission, arguing that healthcare staffing and planning could no longer be managed through a generic civil service framework.
Speaking on the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, Chua pointed out that non-communicable diseases were rising at an alarming rate – with 70% of deaths in Malaysia caused by lifestyle-related diseases.
“Some specialists are even describing it as an epidemic,” said Chua, who was health minister from 2004 to 2008.
He said public hospitals remained overly focused on treating acute illnesses rather than preventing chronic diseases linked to lifestyle and ageing.
Chua said healthcare workers were under severe strain, while many patients still lacked basic understanding of how to manage chronic illnesses.
“It is not enough to just prescribe medicine and ask patients to return after three months,” he said, adding that nurses should be specially trained to monitor patients continuously, supported by artificial intelligence tools already used in other countries.
Contract doctor system ‘completely unfair’
Chua also criticised the contract doctor system, describing it as “completely unfair” to medical officers who spent years training only to end up in temporary posts.
“You spend five to six years in university, two years as a houseman and another year as a medical officer before being fully registered. After eight or nine years, what do you get? A temporary job,” he said.
“That is why many leave for the private sector. They lose motivation and morale.”
He warned that unless the issue was resolved, overworked doctors – including those working up to 80 hours a week – would continue leaving the public healthcare system.
Khairy, who was also health minister from 2021 to 2022, agreed that Malaysia faced serious structural challenges in retaining specialists, particularly given the wide salary gap between the public and private sectors.
“There is no way the government can completely close the gap between private and public healthcare salaries,” he said.
Chua also urged Putrajaya to reduce bureaucracy affecting private general practitioners, saying some young doctors waited up to a year for clinic approvals while continuing to pay rent on empty premises.
“Private GPs play a very important frontline role in reducing congestion at hospitals,” he said.