KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry will prioritise digital transformation and healthcare funding in its Health White Paper this year, in line with the nation’s health reform agenda, said Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.
“2024 is the year to implement (the reforms) by identifying the focus points for the white paper,” he told a press conference at a launch ceremony of the strategic collaboration between KPJ Healthcare Bhd and Mayo Clinic today.
“My reform is based on two aspects – digital transformation including the Electronic Medical Record system, and the healthcare funding system.”
The ministry is identifying eligible candidates to be part of a technical working group to mobilise the effort, following a discussion on the matter, he added.
In his speech earlier at the launch, Dzulkefly said these transformations in local healthcare systems will empower both the public and private sectors.
“Innovation, digitalisation and technological advancements that draw on the strengths of both public and private sectors have the potential to improve effectiveness, accessibility, and equity in healthcare,”
However, he said both sectors have yet to perfectly integrate, as the public sector has two-thirds of inpatient and outpatient cases, but most specialists in the nation are in the private sector.
With resources, data, and the burden of work not shared between the two sectors, Dzulkefly said it leads to diagnosis and treatment delays, added costs, and labour wastage.
On the new collaboration between KPJ and Mayo Clinic, Dzulkefly said it would allow the local healthcare institution to “pioneer new paradigms” in patient care, research, and healthcare delivery.
Currently, the collaboration makes two of KPJ’s institutions – the KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital, and Damansara Specialist Hospital 2 – the only Malaysian member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
The network allows the two KPJ institutions access to Mayo Clinic’s clinical tools and services, which aim to enhance medical care and professional development. – February 16, 2024