One psychiatrist per 69,000 people in Malaysia as govt targets improved ratio
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry aims to have one psychiatrist for every 40,000 people, compared with the current ratio of one for every 69,000.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government aims to increase the number of psychiatrists per capita, currently at one for every 69,000 people, to one for every 40,000. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad revealed this target is necessary to meet growing demand for mental health services, achieved through expanding specialist training.
Currently, the ministry employs about 400 out of the country's roughly 700 registered psychiatrists, with the rest working in the private sector. The shortage of psychiatrists poses a significant challenge, but the ministry is taking steps to address it. Dzulkefly stated that the ministry is adopting a "task-shifting" approach, utilizing counsellors and family medicine specialists (FMS) to share the mental health caseload and alleviate the workload.
Currently, there are 10,000 registered counsellors in the country, 300 of whom work with the ministry. Mental health services are provided at 1,116 government clinics, while psychiatric services are available at 68 ministry hospitals and four psychiatric institutions.
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