Ministry vows to deliver better healthcare: Dzulkefly

KUALA LUMPUR: Increased spending in the nation’s health sector and adding value to government and private healthcare services are among the Health Ministry’s biggest challenges, itsminister, DatukSeri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.

Dzulkefly, who has helmed the ministry since May 2018, said despite achieving upper middle income status, the nation has been underspending when it came to healthcare services.

He said national audit reports showed that government hospitals’ emergency and trauma departments were underfunded and understaffed to the point of overcrowding and longer waiting period for treatment.

Dzulkefly has sought more allocation from the government for national healthcare development to address the situation.

In Budget 2020, his ministry was allocated

RM30.7 billion (RM28.68 billion the previous year).

“We are the Health Ministry, we are not just the custodian of health or public healthcare supervisors, we are also the custodian of health for everyone, and oversee the public and private sector,” he said.

“I look at the private (healthcare) sector as my partner, and not as a competitor. I would like to also see the private sector enhancing value-based delivery, not just curative, but preventive as well,” he added.

On overcrowding in public hospitals, Dzulkefly said the ministry is taking a serious approach in tackling the issue, while admitting that among others, the problem was compounded by healthcare facility projects that failed to meet deadlines.

In this respect, he said he has had to act on contractors who took a lackadaisical attitude in project delivery. – Bernama