KUALA LUMPUR – The government should use Budget 2025 to overhaul the public healthcare financing system, which includes abolishing the RM1 and RM5 charges for outpatient and specialist treatment, experts said.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib emphasised that the public should not bear any costs when accessing care in public health facilities.
“These charges also keep alive the fiction that the cost of healthcare in Malaysia is cheaper in government facilities and mislead the public. Removing these charges will open the way to meaningful discussion and serious consideration of future reforms in healthcare financing,” Azrul said in a statement.
He also stressed that the country not only needs to find new, sustainable funding for healthcare, but must also ensure that aged care is adequately supported.
Malaysia is six years away from becoming an ageing nation, with some states, including Penang, Perak, and Melaka, already considered aged.
“We recommend introducing national health and social insurance. The pooling of funds will go towards investing in health and aged care. It will complement the existing annual budgetary allocation, and not replace it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Amrahi Buang, President of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS), called for an increased allocation for public healthcare in Budget 2025, noting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation that healthcare spending should represent 5% of a country’s GDP.
Speaking to Scoop, Amrahi also anticipates the Health Ministry (MoH) will strengthen its services and facilities under the upcoming 13th Malaysian Plan, which will begin next year.
“The Health White Paper passed in the Dewan Rakyat last year provides the framework for enhancing the healthcare system over the next five years as part of the 13th MP. The ministry will need to replace and repair machinery and equipment,” he explained.
Amrahi further noted that the MoH plans to integrate the public healthcare system with the private sector, expanding the public-private partnership initiative. “I believe they will build on this partnership while improving MoH facilities,” he said.
In addition, Amrahi hopes that with the government shifting towards “preventive and promotive” care rather than just treating illness, Budget 2025 will also focus on improving health literacy, including medicine literacy. He suggested launching a campaign to reduce salt intake, similar to the ongoing “Jom Kosong” initiative to cut down on sugar, to combat high blood pressure and related conditions.
“The focus should also be on specialisation in pharmacy to meet current patient needs,” he added.
Improving dialysis care
Azrul also proposed that Budget 2025 prioritises automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) in both public and private sectors. He noted that over 10,000 people are diagnosed with kidney failure each year and require dialysis.
He highlighted that patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis tend to live longer, healthier lives with greater mobility, without the need for major medical equipment, which enhances their productivity and quality of life.
“Having only the government to prioritise peritoneal dialysis is insufficient.
“(Therefore) we recommend that the government introduce tax rebates for private dialysis centres to switch their patients to peritoneal dialysis as a form of financial incentive and encouragement, and to support the National PD First policy,” he explained.
Azrul also urged the government to increase funding for dermatological services, which he said are currently underfunded and under-prioritised. – October 13, 2024.