PETALING JAYA: The Health White Paper, which will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in the coming Parliament session, promises high quality services at affordable rates and acceptable waiting times as among the reforms to the healthcare sector to be implemented in phases over 15 years.
The Health Ministry’s top officials have been conducting townhall sessions in various parts of the country to gather feedback from stakeholders for the proposals to reform the sector that came under immense pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far, five townhall sessions have been held, with the first in Kuala Lumpur on April 18 and most recently in Muar yesterday.
Three other sessions were held in Sarawak, Sabah and Penang.
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From photos posted on the ministry’s Facebook, the sessions looked to be fully attended with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers.
Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA) executive director Chan Li Jin, who attended one of the sessions, said there was a long line of people waiting to ask questions or provide feedback.
“What differentiates this session from previous ones is the openness and inclusivity.
“Previous ones never got all the stakeholders to the table like this,” she said, adding that it made her hopeful that “they would finally see something moving.”
According to the White Paper’s website, funding constraints, manpower concerns, facilities and equipment shortages, disease burden, ageing society, mental health issues, climate change and deterioration of the planet as well as the lack of emphasis on the social determinants of health are among the challenges faced by the healthcare system.
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Members of the public, said the website, would be able to enjoy high quality services at affordable rates with acceptable waiting hours, e-services, the ability to consult the same doctor and team each time, as well as access their health records online once the reforms are implemented.
Chan said it would take political will to push through the reforms encapsulated in the White Paper, adding that regular reviews should also be carried out to track whether the targets have been achieved.
“PhAMA is also hoping for an increased health budget as the country moves towards ageing society status in 2030. Investing in health is no longer an option if we’re hoping for a healthy, productive society in the following decades,” she said.
Chan is also urging the government to increase access to innovative medicines to provide equity through the healthcare system.
PhAMA, she said, also hoped that the ministry would honour its pledge to strengthen public-private partnerships in reforming the complex yet dynamic healthcare system.
“Early and regular engagement with relevant stakeholders to co-create holistic, robust and sustainable solutions should be the way forward, instead of adopting a paternalistic approach,” she added.
Meanwhile, in Muar, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the Health White Paper would be the beginning of the journey of reforming the country’s health system towards making it more sustainable and competitive.
“The White Paper on Health will be tabled in Parliament next month,” she added.
Members of the public can also provide their feedback via the ministry’s website at https://moh.gov.my/
