In a recent statement, Darmavantha Hospital CEO Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem expressed ongoing challenges in recruiting specialist doctors despite recent increases in their salaries. Addressing the media, Haleem acknowledged the persistently long queues for specialist consultations, attributing the issue to a shortage of specialized medical professionals.
Despite a salary hike for doctors, Haleem noted that the desired improvement in the availability of specialist doctors has not materialized as quickly as hoped. He emphasized that the increased salaries, implemented last year, cannot immediately address the shortage of specialist doctors, as training and increasing their numbers require considerable time.
Haleem highlighted efforts to train local specialist doctors but acknowledged the current limitations due to the small number of specialists available. Foreign specialist doctors were also considered as a solution, but challenges in the existing salary structure have hindered recruitment efforts.
The hospital, recognizing the prolonged queues in areas with a scarcity of specialist doctors, is actively engaging with the Ministry of Health and the Pay Commission to address difficulties in recruiting foreign specialists. Positive changes have been observed since the salary increase, with enhanced hospital consultations and reduced clinic waiting times.
While Haleem commended these improvements, he noted that challenges persist, particularly regarding the increasing population and the public’s continued difficulty in securing timely doctor appointments. To address this, Darmavantha Hospital is exploring changes to its working model in collaboration with doctors. The hospital aims to increase the number of consultations further, ultimately resolving the issue of long queues for specialist doctor appointments.