Global Health Asia-Pacific Issue 1 | 2023 GHT64B | Page 74

Malaysia
“ The government should also ruthlessly cut wastage , corruption , fraud , and abuse from the healthcare system and redirect these cost-savings back into healthcare spending .” consider several revenue-increasing measures to alleviate the financial burden on its healthcare sectors , including expanding tax collection mechanisms such as the Goods and Services Tax ( GST ), while the World Bank has proposed removing fossil fuel subsidies and increasing taxes on products that negatively impact health , such as alcohol , cigarettes , and sugarsweetened beverages .
Like other countries , Malaysia faces the perennial dilemma of whether to spend more on healthcare worker salaries or invest in healthcare facilities , infrastructure , and medical equipment to ensure optimal delivery of quality care . Dr Khor has suggested that the government consider a gradual and planned increase in the MOH budget in both absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP .
“ A gradual increase is better than a sudden increase because the current system needs to build the absorptive capacity and governance to receive , spend , and govern the money properly ,” he explained . “ The government should ruthlessly cut wastage , corruption , fraud , and abuse from the healthcare system and bring these cost-savings back into healthcare spending .”
Establishing a national health insurance plan Healthcare affordability among the Malaysian populace is vital to ensure equal access and avoid exorbitant out-of-pocket spending . Recently , Azrul Mohd Khalib , CEO of the Galen Centre , proposed rolling out a national insurance scheme involving monthly contributions in the form of salary deductions similar to Malaysia ’ s EPF for retirement savings . He also suggested that , with less than 10 percent of workers paying income tax , all employees , including those in the bottom 40 percent income group , needed to contribute to the national insurance fund . Dr Khor concurs with these suggestions , emphasising that the scheme ’ s introduction should be conducted systematically . “ Implementing this scheme follows in the footsteps of the OECD ’ s developed countries and our middle-income neighbours , such as Thailand , the Philippines , and Indonesia ,” he said .
Reexamine clinical fees rate structure According to the World Bank health spending per person in Malaysia increased from RM497 ( US�111 ) in 2000 to RM1,957 ( US�437 ) in 2019 , recording a drastic 293 percent hike . Local public healthcare relies significantly on subsidised payments , where patients are charged RM 1 ( US�0.23 ) for a clinical appointment and RM5 ( US�1.13 ) for specialist checkups . The consensus among health professionals is that this practice , conducted since 1986 , is outdated and should be changed to help alleviate the financial burden on the healthcare system .
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