HEALTH D-G: NO ORDER YET TO CLOSE 1MALAYSIA CLINICS
‘Review process being fine-tuned before ministry makes decision’
THE Health Ministry has not finalised or issued any order to shut down 1Malaysia Clinics. Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed this yesterday in response to social media pictures of closure notices involving 1Malaysia Clinics in the Klang Valley.
He said the ministry had not finalised or issued any order to shut down the clinics, which had been identified for possible closure under its review exercise as announced by the health minister recently.
“The reviewing is being finetuned before the ministry’s top management makes a decision on the matter,” he said, adding that any decision on the clinics would be made soon.
The ministry, Dr Noor Hisham said, gave its assurance that the closure of selected 1Malaysia Clinics would be done in an orderly manner to ensure that there would be no disruption in providing health services.
He reiterated the ministry’s position to review the 1Malaysia clinic programme, saying the clinics would be rebranded as “Community Clinic” with its operations and premises to be upgraded.
“The upgrade, as announced by the health minister, will include posting medical and pharmaceutical officers on the premises in stages.”
It was reported that all 347 1Malaysia Clinics were being reviewed and clinics that received fewer than 50 patients daily would be closed.
Dr Noor Hisham said clinics located near other health facilities and with high overhead costs would be closed down, too.
The 1Malaysia Clinic, which was established in 2010, received an average of 1.3 million patients annually, which saw an increase to 6.59 million patients last year.
In the early stage, the clinic offered basic services for fever, flu, cough and simple procedures like wound dressings and laboratory tests.
The clinic now offers treatments for chronic diseases and maternity care in selected areas.