According to World Health Organisation's recommendations in the Health Workforce Requirement for Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal Report in 2016 (walao, damn long right the title?), there should be one healthcare worker, including doctors and nurses, for every 225 people.

Nisbah seorang doktor bagi setiap penduduk di negara ini ialah 1: 454 iaitu lebih baik berbanding nisbah 1: 500 yang disarankan WHO. - Menteri Kesihatan @DrAdhamBaba

— KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) August 4, 2020

This is to "obtain better universal health coverage at the rate of 80 per cent for services involving mothers and children, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases."

WHO also recommends one doctor to every 500 people.

Malaysia's ratio is better than the recommendations

A Bernama report, quoting the Health Minister, shows that Malaysia's ratio of healthcare workers to population is better than the recommendations made by the WHO.

Answering former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's question in parliament, Dr Adham reportedly said that “...this ratio is indeed better that one doctor for every 500 people," referring to the country's one doctor to 454 people ratio.

Currently, there are 71,041 medical doctors working in public and private sectors in Malaysia.

Dr Adham also said that there were one healthcare worker for 186 people in Malaysia, well below the recommended ratio of 225.

As for dentists, there are one dentist for every 2,963, with a total of 11,059 in the country.

There are 19,341 pharmacist in the country, making the ratio one to 1,694.

The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely made us appreciate the healthcare system more, especially when we look at "developed" counties like the United States.