The Health May 2021 | Page 26

Efforts must be made to realise the growth potential of HealthTech and EdTech in Malaysia

26

THE HEALTH | MAY , 2021

| Column |

Overcoming connectivity barriers

Efforts must be made to realise the growth potential of HealthTech and EdTech in Malaysia

WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth potential of both HealthTech and EdTech , inconsistent access to internet connectivity might prevent these two emerging start-ups in revolutionising thr healthcare and education system in Malaysia .

HealthTech is known as the use of technology ( databases , applications , mobiles , wearables ) to enhance the delivery , payment and consumption of healthcare , with the ability to catalyse the development and commercialisation of medicinal products .
EdTech refers to hardware and software designed to strengthen teacher-led learning in classrooms and improve students ’ education outcomes .
Although the recent e-Conomy SEA 2020 report by Google , Temasek and Bain & Company stated that more Malaysians are engaging in digital services ( i . e ., one out of three Malaysians are new to digital services ), the connectivity and affordability issue ,( i . e ., 1 person-1 device ) persist among urban and rural dwellers in Malaysia .
According to the United Nations Children ’ s Fund ( Unicef ) “ Families on the Edge ” survey that was conducted in the low-cost housing flats around Klang Valley in Oct 2020 , eight out of 10 students did not have computers or laptops , while nine out of 10 only had smartphones as their learning devices .
Aside from limited digital devices or Internet plans , rural citizens often face unstable internet connection . This can be seen in the rural areas of Sabah where the villagers have to pull up mineral bottles containing mobile phones with their “ hot spot ” function switched on – obtaining minimal cellular signals via at least 10m high of bamboo poles .
As rural students have to depend on a particular spot to gain internet access for online learning , Veveonah Mosibin from Pitas , Sabah had to climb a tree to have a reliable internet connection for her exams . A teacher from Sarawak had to lead a group of primary and secondary school students from his village in Nanga Sumpa and nearby Nanga Jambu in Lubok Antu on a jungle trek just for better internet coverage .
BY AMANDA YEO
Modify the current provision of data credit
Due to limited access in digital devices or unstable internet connection , doctors find it challenging to communicate with patients via telemedicine – the use of information and communications technology ( ICT ) to improve patient outcomes by increasing access to care and medical information .
Despite the e-Conomy SEA 2020 report indicating the growth potential from both HealthTech and EdTech in the next few years , the slower mobile speed in Malaysia compared to other neighbouring ASEAN countries , might hinder Malaysia ’ s progress in developing an inclusive start-up ecosystem in the country .
Speedtest ’ s Global Index for December 2020 revealed that Malaysia ranked 7th at 25.6Mbps in terms of mobile speed , which is behind Singapore ( 66.82Mbps ), Thailand ( 51.75Mbps ) and Vietnam ( 34.51Mbps ).
To overcome the connectivity barriers , the government has to expedite Budget 2021 ’ s initiatives to realise the growth potential of HealthTech and EdTech in Malaysia , which are as follows : 1 . The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission ( MCMC ) will allocate RM7.4 billion for the year 2021 and 2022 to build and upgrade broadband services ;
2 . Allocate RM500 million to implement Jendela to ensure the connectivity of 430 schools throughout Malaysia covering all states ; and
3 . Provide RM1 billion Industrial Digitalisation Transformation Scheme through Bank Pembangunan Malaysia to boost digitalisation activities . With the possibility of school closures due to the recent spike of the Covid-19 cases in the country , the government perhaps could modify the current provision of data credit .
Instead of giving every Malaysian free 1GB data daily , the MCMC could work with the Department of Social Welfare ( JKM ) in providing unlimited data for underprivileged communities to enjoy online learning and seek online health consultations .
Although the Ministry of Education ( MoE ) introduced “ Kelas @ Rumah ” and
Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia ( DELIMa ) to assist students in following up education syllabus and acquiring future skills , teachers are facing difficulties in conducting engaging lessons with students virtually when schools closed during the past few months .
Reaching the underprivileged communities
Due to a sudden pivot towards online learning , teachers could only apply simplified teaching methodologies such as video conferencing to facilitate online teaching . Many teachers could not adopt innovative teaching methodologies ( i . e ., multimedia , gamification and virtual collaboration ) as they either do not have skillsets to apply in their online teaching or limited funds to integrate innovative methodologies into the current curricula .
To overcome online learning barriers , the MoE could perhaps work with EdTech providers - providing more online tools and question banks for teachers and students to access . Teachers could also automatically grade the assignments and exams through the online platform .
If school closure is re-introduced , the government could rent empty halls or co-working spaces in the country to provide underprivileged communities with a conducive learning environment to study .
As many low-income households do not have extra money to buy nutritious food and digital devices , the government perhaps could provide free nutritious meals and laptops - ensuring the well-being of underprivileged students are taken care of during the school closure .
In turn , the owners of empty halls or co-working spaces could weather the health crisis while ensuring SOPs are observed at all times .
As telemedicine is a relatively new approach for patients to receive advice and prescriptions from certified healthcare providers via text messaging or video calls , the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) could arrange some doctors and HealthTech providers to have door-to-door visits to underprivileged communities – explaining the benefits of telemedicine .
However , the MoH also needs to indicate the importance of providing both online and offline healthcare services to underprivileged communities . This would allow patients to seek in-person care if their condition is getting serious .
To safeguard patient outcomes , the MoH and MCMC need to develop a regulatory framework that involves healthcare data , data privacy and medical devices for HealthTech providers in Malaysia . In turn , HealthTech providers could provide their services in a secure environment and build more trust among medical providers and patients .
In addition , the MoH could work with HealthTech providers to implement an electronic medical record system in 145 government hospitals nationwide . It would provide convenience for the doctors to find the patient records , thus increasing the treatment efficiency .
By utilising the RM500 million worth High Technology Fund under Budget 2021 , both HealthTech and EdTech providers in Malaysia would be able to unleash their potential – creating an open ecosystem for every Malaysian to enjoy the benefits from educational and healthcare technologies . — The Health
Amanda Yeo is Research Analyst at EMIR Research , an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research .