Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya has further clarified his remarks on allowing only female doctors to assist in childbirths, pointing out that the ministry cannot make it mandatory that only female doctors can treat female patients.

He also reiterated that the number of female doctors in the obstetrics and gynaecology line is still not enough.

Hilmi said as of December last year, government hospitals only had 172 female and 134 male obstetrics and gynaecology specialists.

“Last year alone, 15 of them left the government service for better pasture,” he said in a Facebook post.

Although the number of scholarships for doctors to pursue their masters have been increased to 1,000 per year, Hilmi said many would in the end opt to leave (the government service).

“This means that it will take sometime for the country to achieve the adequate number of female obstetrics and gynaecology specialists in the government service.

“When that happens, our young mothers will have the luxury to chose their preferred female specialists,” he said.

In times of emergency, however, one would not be able to choose and whoever is available, be it male or female specialists, would have to attend to the case, he added.

Hilmi’s Facebook post was in response to former health ministry director-general Ismail Merican (photo) who had slammed the former after he made the suggestion.

Hilmi last week said the government was looking at allowing only female doctors to assist in childbirths.

But he said the plans were put on hold as there were not enough female doctors in public service in the obstetrics and gynaecology line.

Ismail had said that he thought he was suffering from hypoglycaemia as a result of fasting when he read the news reports on Hilmi’s comments.

“What was he thinking? Surely he knew that doctors are bound by our code of ethics and professional conduct.

“We are not allowed to discriminate by gender, race or religion,” Ismail said.

Meanwhile, Hilmi further explained that the subject was posed to him by a reporter when he visited the maternity ward in Hospital Balik Pulau.

“Somehow it became big news. The reporter wrote what she thought was true,” he said.

Citing his 25 years in politics, Hilmi said whenever politicians try to make corrections on any reports, it will either not get printed or it will appear in very small prints.

“I chose not to. Of course I know very well that it will attract a lot of debate in the media.

“The way the report was written gave the impression that the deputy health minister has abandoned his oath to the medical profession.

“I am still a doctor. Certainly we cannot make it mandatory that only female doctors will treat female patients. It may apply to elective cases but not during emergencies,” he added.