Despite the losses of the non-Malay component parties, the PM is bound to continue with the current balance of power within the Cabinet. This means that the Health Minister portfolio will go to the MCA. If the trend of putting medical doctors in this position is continued, then Ng Yen Yen will certainly fit this bill. If it happens, it will be a promotion to a full Ministerial position for her.

Apart from the perpetual problem of funding in healthcare, there are a few administrative problems that needs sorting out. The placement of doctors for one needs to be more transparent and decided upon more humanely. All doctors should be if possible, given the opportunity to serve in a community setting on a rotation basis. At the same time, doctors should be given equal opportunity at post graduate training and career advancement.

All doctors should be subjected to the same rules and regulations. Fast tracking into the local Masters programme will only produce immature and inexperienced doctors. Just recently, a junior Orthopedic surgery lecturer asked if steroids could be stopped for a week for a rheumatoid arthritis patient with cervical subluxation, for surgery. This patient was of course on steroids for a prolonged period in our attempts at controlling disease activity. Stopping steroids cold could prove disastrous for this patient. One would have thought that this should be basic medical knowledge, certainly not something that only a physician should know. Certainly four years of Orthopedic training after housemanship was insufficient to produce a specialist of acceptable calibre.

I am sure there are many more issues at hand that need to be addressed. The incoming Health Minister will certainly inherit a substantial responsibility and workload. Will he/she be up to the task?