PETALING JAYA: The government has spent RM70.3 million to settle civil suits over the last 10 years resulting from, among others, a lack of medical personnel and equipment.
Senator Dr RA Lingeswaran told FMT that a total of 2,008 medico-legal complaints were lodged and 594 malpractice suits filed against the government from 2013 to 2022.
Citing a written reply from the health ministry which was released on Friday, he said 80% of the total 2,602 cases, or 2,081, were caused by factors involving health personnel, including a lack of manpower.
“However, the ministry emphasised that the reasons for these medico-legal cases were multifactorial and not just one reason. It involves both a lack of medical manpower and equipment.
“The government has paid out RM70.3 million over the last 10 years as settlements in medico-legal cases. These were mainly caused by a shortage of manpower involving medical officers, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and assistant medical officers,” he said.
The ministry has assured that it is taking serious measures to improve the competency of its staff and is in the process of filling in the vacancies to ensure better healthcare for Malaysians.
Lingeswaran had asked the ministry on the number of medico-legal complaints and suits which the government received from 2013 to last year.
The senator, a former director of the Sungai Bakap hospital, urged the government to look into the shortage of medical equipment in public hospitals.
He said the lack of such equipment and faulty machines have resulted in long waits for patients at public hospitals, as well as medical malpractices.
Lingeswaran also said this reflected an urgent need for medical personnel to be trained on the issue of malpractices and the dangers associated with it.
“The government must overcome this to avoid wasting its funds in settling medico-legal suits, which can be used for quick equipment repairs and purchases,” he said. - FMT
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