MALAYSIA CAN ACHIEVE DOCTOR-POPULATION RATIO OF 1:600 BY 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia can achieve a doctor-population
ratio of 1:600 as set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) by 2013, said
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the government was actively making efforts to reach that target
including having more medical programmes in both public and private
universities.

"However, we must not be too quick in having the courses as we must ensure
the quality of the doctors we produce," he said after launching a book titled
"Health in Asia and the Pacific" here Thursday.

Based on a report in the book, in 2006 the doctor-population ratio for
Malaysis was 1:1,429, among the lowest among the countries of the
Asia-Pacific.

"It is evident from the report that Malaysia needs to work on its human
resource capacity," katanya.


Although the ratio was lower in 2007 at 1:1,145, Liow said the government
will continue efforts to increase the number of doctors including dentists,
pharmacists and specialists.

He said the government was also working towards attracting Malaysian
doctors
working overseas to return, raising salaries and incentives, and having service
regulations that were flexible.

On a another matter, Malaysia's success in reducing maternal mortality had
been placed under the section titled "Lesson Learnt" in the book.

"Our success in raising the quality of health relating to births in
interior
areas is an example to other countries in Asia," Liow said.

He said the success was a result of applying good strategies like setting
up
rural medical centres and providing information to the people.

-- BERNAMA