KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor Health Department (JKN Selangor) has denied claims that a shortage of medical officers (MOs) was responsible for the congestion at the Cardiology Clinic of Sultan Idris Shah Hospital (HSIS) in Serdang.
Addressing media reports on the matter, it said an internal investigation by HSIS found that the sudden surge in patients at the clinic during that week was due to several factors, including the rescheduling of appointments missed on the previous Tuesday, which was a public holiday for Thaipusam.
Additionally, some patients arrived at the clinic earlier than their scheduled appointments, while others showed up without prior bookings.
JKN Selangor emphasised that HSIS has sufficient medical personnel to manage its outpatient cardiology services. The hospital currently has 26 cardiology specialists, including 15 consultant cardiologists and three trainee consultant cardiologists, supported by 50 medical officers.
These professionals operate 20 consultation rooms and other facilities while also managing inpatients, conducting coronary angiograms for 50 to 70 cases per day, and handling emergency cardiac cases at the HSIS Emergency and Trauma Department.
“The claim that there is a shortage of medical officers at the HSIS Cardiology Clinic is untrue. In the event of unforeseen incidents, HSIS immediately mobilises staff to ensure patients receive the necessary attention,” the statement read.
It also highlighted that specialist services at the clinic are primarily delivered by consultant cardiologists and cardiology specialists, with MOs providing essential support.
To prevent similar congestion in the future, HSIS has outlined several immediate measures, including strengthening the staggered appointment system, expanding teleconsultation services for stable patients, and implementing a ‘step-down care’ system to transfer eligible patients to health clinics.
Additionally, certain blood tests will be conducted at selected health clinics to reduce unnecessary visits to HSIS. Treatment will also be decentralised to six other cardiac treatment centres nationwide, based on ongoing clinical assessments.
Patients and their families have been urged to adhere to scheduled appointment times to ensure a smoother patient flow and more efficient service delivery at the clinic.
As part of its digital healthcare initiatives, HSIS has developed the HSISCare application to facilitate self-check-in for follow-up appointments and provide access to personal medical information. The system, which complies with national digital policies, has already been adopted by 4,000 users since its launch in November 2024.
It is set for an official rollout on March 5, 2025, in three phases, beginning with free patients (disabled persons and senior citizens), followed by government employees using the HRMIS system, and finally, fee-paying patients.
JKN Selangor reaffirmed its commitment to improving cardiology services at HSIS and addressing concerns raised by the public. – February 25, 2025