Discussions are ongoing for private hospitals to be allowed to train their own specialists in various fields, revealed the Association of Private Hospitals in Malaysia (APHM) amid a wave of departures by contract medical officers from the public sector.

APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh said the proposal to benefit hundreds of contract medical officers waiting for permanent positions was discussed with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin in a recent workshop by the ministry.

"Current opportunities for medical officers to be trained as specialists and then to be given a post in the government sector is limited," Kuljit said in a statement today...