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THE HEALTH | DECEMBER , 2022
| Cover Story |
A challenging 2023 for healthcare
The pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy and healthcare sector over the past three years , but there is hope with a new government in place
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
WITH a change in government , there are expectations that the economy will improve , and the ringgit strengthen with both foreign and domestic investments increasing . But even so , it will take time for the effects to trickle down to the man in the street . After all , the last three years have not been easy for businesses , including the healthcare industry since the pandemic began in early 2020 .
The rubber gloves bubble has all but burst and prices of medications have risen sharply , not to mention shortages in supply . Private hospitals are lamenting that their costs have increased . Even health insurers raised their premiums by a hefty 20-30 per cent for no apparent reason despite protests from policyholders .
The previous government , especially its ministers , seemed rather clueless about what to do and did little to address these pressing issues . Malaysians are hopeful the new unity government will put policies and measures in place to alleviate the healthcare burden of the people , especially those in the B40 and M20 category .
The Health spoke to several industry players and stakeholders to get their take on what lies ahead for 2023 . Not surprising , many cautioned that next year would be a tough year given that the global outlook will also not be rosy .
Malaysian Medical Association ( MMA ) President Dr Muruga Raj said providing affordable healthcare services and reducing the occurrence of diseases and their complications will be among the main
Dr Muruga Raj
Amrahi Buang
Prof Datuk Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid challenges . “ When we say affordable healthcare , we are referring to the government sector which is the main provider . Thus , to provide the services , we need enough qualified personnel in all fields , from doctors to paramedics and also from the allied health groups .
“ There will be the need for facilities , and to synergise the services , hence government – private partnership will be the solution ,” he added .
“ Also , many of our public healthcare facilities are ageing and need repairs and upgrades . In September , the health ministry identified 2,732 public clinics in run-down condition .
He said that budgeting for both human resources and maintenance of public healthcare facilities would be a challenge as both are vital in ensuring that the system is functioning optimally .
Pharmaceutical industry outlook
The recent medicine shortage is an eye opener , said Professor Amrahi Buang , President of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society ( MPS ). It showed that there is a medicines security issue in this country to face any pandemic , untoward circumstances , or calamities like big floods .
“ Most medicines are imported , and the Russia – Ukraine war is affecting the pharmaceutical industry in terms of active pharmaceutical ingredients ( API ), excipients , packaging , and others .
“ The government must address this for the short and long term and create an ecosystem that supports local production .
“ Essential medicines list must be updated , and efforts must be made to ensure its supplies in any situation that the country is facing , and it should cover across the regions in the country . National stockpiles must be in place .”
Regional collaboration , he said , is needed to support this effort . A good example is vaccines . Malaysia has the capability and the capacity to produce halal-certified vaccines for the world , but this must be done in collaboration with multinational companies .
On prospects for the halal pharmaceutical sector , Amrahi believes Malaysia has huge potential as the global market for halal pharmaceuticals has increased tremendously , and the government should focus on this sector .
“ The focus should not only be on the finished products but also active pharmaceutical ingredients , excipients , and related products .
“ The government must have a clear policy on this . Halal pharmaceuticals is a blue ocean , and the country has explored this through Halal Development Corporation Berhad ( HDC ). This will require capacity building which leads to job creation .”
Preventing diseases is important
According to Dr Muruga , Malaysia ’ s public healthcare strategy should be emphasised primary prevention , which takes place before the disease happens .
However , not all diseases are preventable . Thus secondary prevention , including early screening and treatment , will be sought in this situation . Some of the diseases will leave sequelae , leading to a reduction in quality of life . Then , tertiary prevention , which includes rehabilitation , will be benefited .
“ The thinking needs to change . We need to be proactive when it comes to looking after our health . Of course , the government has a role in supporting health with policies . Still , we must take responsibility for our health by ensuring we go for our scheduled medical check-ups and adopt a healthy lifestyle , or more time , money , and resources will be spent on sick care .
“ We must also emphasise the importance of health from a young age in schools so that healthy lifestyle habits will continue into adulthood .