Malaysian Health Ministry is taking important measures to improve medical services in the country’s rural areas. Health minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has promised that medical assistants would be stationed in all rural clinics. He has said that Sepang rural clinic will serve as a pilot project and a medical assistant will be stationed there from Aug 1.

Medical assistants have made a huge impact in improving medical services in the urban areas and the government feels it is time to extend the services to rural areas. Liow laid down the governments’ idea to train 2000 fresh MAs and also hire retired ones on contractual basis.

The Malaysian government plans to implement this in 10th Malaysia Plan and has directed ministry’s Development Planning Division to look for suitable piece of land for clinic. These developments are being made to expand medical services which were available only to expectant mothers and babies. Liow has said that patients may no longer have to travel far to get treatment for minor problems like cough, cold or influenza.

The other major developments as stated by Liow were the increase in the number of teams for Communication for Behavioural Impact programme. Presently 600 teams exist but these were deemed insufficient and have been raised to 1000 teams.

When questioned about the dengue fever which was rampant in the country Liow sincerely said that the ministry would work with residents in the localities, non-government organizations and other committees to setup volunteer groups to contain the spread of the disease.