22 SEACARE 2025 The HEALTH | May-June. 2025
Financing a healthier future
• SEACare 2025 gathered regional health leaders to discuss sustainable healthcare financing amid rising costs and system inefficiencies.
• Representatives emphasised the need for improved cost control, layered coverage plans, and strategic hospital negotiations.
• The Minister of Health outlined Malaysia’ s digitalisation goals and stressed the need for inclusive, patient-first policies.
BY ADELINE ANTHONY ALPHONSO
WITH healthcare costs spiralling and system inefficiencies threatening patient care, leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre( MITEC) on Apr 23 for the 25th Southeast Asia Healthcare & Pharma Show( SEACare).
The event, hosted by Qube Integrated Malaysia in collaboration with the National Cancer Society Malaysia( NCSM), brought together policymakers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and tech innovators to chart a path towards more sustainable healthcare financing.
Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who officiated the opening, said the region’ s health systems are undergoing rapid change and that collaboration is essential in ensuring the outcomes benefit everyone.
He said:“ The transformation of healthcare is a collective journey.
“ Every discussion, every partnership, and every solution that emerges from SEACare 2025 will bring us one step closer to a healthier, more resilient Southeast Asia.”
Themed Strategic Partnerships in Healthcare Innovation: Fostering Collaboration for Digital Transformation, SEACare 2025 is part of a broader national and regional effort to integrate digital technologies into healthcare delivery.
This includes telemedicine, artificial intelligence( AI)-driven diagnostics, wearable monitoring devices, and the use of big data for preventive care.
According to Dzulkefly, these tools must be applied in ways that prioritise patient care and healthcare equity.
“ Innovation, by itself, is not enough. It must serve a greater purpose: to enhance patient care, break down barriers to medical access, and build a resilient, people-centred healthcare ecosystem,” he said.
He also highlighted the Ministry of Health’ s commitment to digitalisation through the rollout of the Cloud-Based Clinical Management System( CCMS) and the“ One Individual, One Record” initiative.
Both aim to enhance data accessibility and continuity of care across public and
REFORMING HEALTHCARE: The official launch of SEACare 2025.
HEALTHCARE PRIORITIES: The panelists share insights on healthcare equity and innovation.
private healthcare services.
He explained:“ These initiatives aim to consolidate patient data, ensuring seamless integration and real-time access across the system,
“ Under the 13th Malaysia Plan, we will continue to push digitalisation in government hospitals and clinics.”
The event comes as Malaysia prepares to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. Health cooperation is expected to feature prominently in the regional agenda, particularly in areas like pandemic preparedness, ageing populations, and the rise in non-communicable diseases( NCDs).
Dzulkefly explained:“ Health challenges transcend borders. As Chair, Malaysia will champion stronger regional collaboration and reinforce ASEAN’ s healthcare resilience through shared strategies and coordinated action.”
HEALTH IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The second day of SEACare 2025 saw some policymakers, economists and insurance sector leaders gather for a high-level panel titled“ Enhancing Healthcare Financing: paying and how much,” he said, noting that healthcare costs for common procedures like dengue and cataract treatments have risen significantly.
He added that insurance models needed to reflect the realities of different income groups, mentioning:“ There’ s a wide range between the T20s and B40s. We need to build layered plans that offer affordability without compromising core healthcare.”
Hontek, offering a policy perspective, said the conversation should move beyond public-private financing debates to multisource funding strategies.
She said:“ No country finances healthcare through a single channel. We need better integration and policy coordination to handle out-of-pocket spending, which is still high in Malaysia.”
FOCUS ON REFORM
Qube Integrated Malaysia General Manager and Show Director of SEACare, Kevin Teo, said this year’ s event was curated to encourage cross-sector collaboration and real-world solutions.
“ We wanted to move away from a purely exhibition-based model,” Teo said.
“ SEACare is meant to foster meaningful conversations and bring stakeholders together to tackle systemic issues, from data gaps to access inequality.”
As the event came to a close, what lingered was not just the promise of more innovative technology or policy shifts- but the sense that SEA’ s healthcare future must be built with empathy at its core.
“ Every discussion, every partnership, and every solution that emerges from SEACare 2025 will bring us one step closer to a healthier, more resilient Southeast Asia,” concluded Dzulkefly.- The HEALTH
Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad delivering the officiating address at SEACare