Malaysian medical graduates increasingly migrate to Singapore

Medical graduates in Malaysia are increasingly moving to Singapore for their housemanship, which is causing significant financial losses for the country. Experts say that the number of graduates making this move has grown rapidly in recent years. Only two graduates left for Singapore in 2020, but that number increased to 30 in 2023. Prof Datin Dr Marina Mat Baki, from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine, highlighted the financial impact of this trend. She noted that medical education is heavily subsidized by the Malaysian government, which spends a lot on each student. The government’s investment ranges from RM500,000 to RM1 million over five years. Prof Dr Marina urged the government to speed up the placement of graduates in hospitals after their final exams. This could help keep more doctors in Malaysia. Graduates who complete their housemanship in Singapore face challenges if they want to return to practice in Malaysia, as they must meet certain local requirements. The outflow of medical talent not only affects the country’s finances but also leaves Malaysia with fewer doctors. This could lead to problems with access to medical care for the population. Dr Muhammad Yassin, a spokesperson for Hartal Doktor Kontrak, emphasized that the situation could increase burnout among healthcare workers. To address these issues, he suggested improving work conditions and pay for doctors. This includes increasing on-call allowances and reducing workloads for all healthcare staff. Additionally, he proposed exploring partnerships between public and private sectors to better manage patient care.