The Health December 2022 | Page 9

| Cover Story |

DECEMBER , 2022 | THE HEALTH

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“ The government is currently overburdened with the management of mostly preventable diseases . Therefore , primary care and its role in preventing diseases must be enhanced . The 8,000 private GPs nationwide can play a greater role in the country ’ s strategy for early prevention of diseases .”
Likewise , Parti Sosialis Malaysia ( PSM ) President Dr Michael Jeyakumar encouraged the involvement of GPs in Malaysia in a NHS like scheme to provide care for diabetic and hypertensive patients .
Pro-Vice Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ( KL Campus ) Prof Datuk Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid said : “ Bold , strategic actions and strong leadership are needed to push ahead – we may see further significant reforms and initiatives to be introduced to tackle the problems of non-communicable diseases ( NCDs ) and social determinants of health .
“ We have already seen the previously unthinkable generational end game bill being tabled in parliament for the first time , with great support from the public . Hopefully , this trend will continue as we progress into an uncertain future .”
Healthcare under the new leadership
With the new government in place , there is much expectation and push for reforms to the healthcare system .
“ We hope to see the expansion of healthcare services , particularly in the rural areas . Some specialist services are unavailable in some states , and as a result , some patients need to travel to other states to access certain services ,” said Dr Muruga .
“ We also hope the congestion we see at public healthcare facilities and the burnout experienced by healthcare workers can be addressed . We believe this issue can be overcome with improved planning of human resources .
“ To further reduce the congestion ,
the MMA had suggested that some of the primary healthcare services be outsourced to the private GPs .”
Meanwhile , Dr Hanafiah shared : “ With the new government promising to address the immediate effects of the rising cost of living , it is hoped there will be effective policy mechanisms and support initiatives to balance the already high out-of-pocket health expenses borne by patients and their families .
“ It seems pertinent the issue of sustainable health financing to be raised again for traction to seek better , permanent , yet pragmatic solutions to ensure a viable healthcare ecosystem in Malaysia .”
In regards to rising healthcare cost , Dr Jeyakumar suggested Malaysia to withdraw participation from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ( CPTPP ), as it will cause an increase in the price of medicines and medical supplies .
The public healthcare sector , he said , also needs to improve its quality of care and reduce its waiting time , ensuring public will not require the high cost service offered in private hospitals . Instead they will opt for the affordable service offered in public hospitals .
Dr Michael Jeyakumar
Mohd Daud Mohd Ariff
Therefore , extra funds is required to employ more doctors and nurses and to increase treatment facilities in the public hospitals . “ The healthcare sector budget needs to be increased to RM40 billion for 2023 and RM48 billion for 2024 .
“ Although all three major coalitions promised to increase the health budget , we are not sure if this newly formed government will do it because there are a lot of other issues to look into ,” he said , adding the budget deficit is already huge , and there is uncertainty of whether the newly appointed Health Minister will lobby strongly enough for the funds .
Meanwhile , Amrahi wondered if there would be a change in policy with the new Health Minister .
“ The new Minister must continue with the Health White Paper since a lot has been done in this aspect to face the future of the health system in the country . A massive change needs to be done since the current one is not sustainable ,” he said .
“ The rakyat has voted in the GE15 , and the government must consider the challenges it is facing now and in the near future in 2023 . And the new government must face this challenge strategically involving all with the principle of one government and one society approach .”
Healthcare tourism is picking up
Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council ( MHTC ) CEO Mohd Daud Mohd Ariff said with a foundation that has continuously been fortified for over a decade , Malaysia Healthcare is ready to embark on a new phase .
“ We are well-poised to embark on the next phase of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint ( 2021-2025 ) in 2023 to Rebuild the brand to be stronger and better whilst enhancing the delivery of seamless end-to-end experiences to all
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MHTC ’ s aspirations next year

WITH travel restrictions being removed by most countries now that the severity of the pandemic has abated , the prospects for the medical tourism industry have also picked up .
That ’ s good news for countries like Malaysia , whose healthcare costs and cost of living are relatively low in the region despite the high quality of expertise and healthcare services .
Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council ( MHTC ) remains steadfast in its aspiration of positioning Malaysia as a top-of-mind destination for healthcare that prioritises patient care and safety .
MHTC CEO Mohd Daud Mohd Ariff said : “ To this end , we are dedicated to providing quality healthcare services for all .
“ As the world transitions into endemicity , we anticipate the increase of healthcare traveller arrivals in Malaysia . As such , in 2023 and beyond , we will continue to reinforce awareness of MHTC ’ s world-class quality offerings and enhance the patient experience through the digitalisation of key touchpoints , creation of more strategic partnerships with local , regional and global players , unified branding efforts as well as raising Malaysian global icons for healthcare .
With the cohesive efforts and collaboration from all stakeholders , MHTC
aims to reach RM1.7 billion in healthcare travel revenues by 2025 , with a significant spillover effect on the rest of the Malaysian economy .
On how MHTC has been driving the medical tourism sector despite the challenges , Mohd Daud said : The global pandemic has put a pause on the industry ’ s growth and created a ‘ new normal ’ global market performance that takes into consideration new factors such as travel restrictions and the perception of safety and trust towards healthcare destinations .
“ Together with the public and private stakeholders in the Malaysia Healthcare ecosystem , we rose above the challenges and took a swift response in reopening Malaysia for healthcare travel via a medical travel bubble which ensures the safety of both the national and international patients while providing continuity of care for patients .
As a result , Malaysia Healthcare has cultivated a solid ecosystem , further positioning Malaysia as a safe and trusted destination for healthcare travellers .
He said that during the Recovery phase , more emphasis was being placed on the Healthcare Travel Ecosystem as readiness measures for the industry to recover and move into the Rebuild phase . “ Learning from the challenges during the pandemic , we are looking into improving practices , services and offerings to provide an improvised experience to healthcare travellers .”
Mohd Daud said Public-Private Partnerships with global , regional , and local industry leaders would continue to be one of MHTC ’ s key strategies as it pushes the industry to its fullest potential .
MHTC is actively exploring new avenues for Malaysia ’ s key stakeholders to pursue collaborations with interested global parties and facilitate industry recovery in 2023 and beyond . – The Health