Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye hopes the Federal Government will have something in the Budget 2019 to encourage the B40 (bottom 40% of households with monthly income RM3,900 and below) to care more for their health.
He said a lot of money was spent on treatment and palliative care but not much on prevention.“In the next Budget, I hope there will be something for the B40 group, mainly to emphasise on prevention and primary care.
“We really need to look into this,” he told reporters after attending the KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital Neonatal Cardio Respiratory Conference.
On the plan to have a social health insurance scheme in Malaysia, Dr Lee said it was not possible in the next five years.
“Maybe not this term. We hope it can be introduced gradually,” he said.“It all depends on the people’s acceptance towards such a scheme and the country’s economic stability.
“For now, our priority is to work out the free insurance coverage for the B40 first.”
On Pakatan Harapan’s 100th day in power, Dr Lee said he had been trying to understand the problems and functions of the ministry and the issues on the ground.“There are lots of problems, primarily with ageing facilities, which can put a strain on services.
“Among the problems are the long waiting time for healthcare services because of manpower and equipment shortages and also some houseman-related matters,” he said.
“We are firefighting now. The priority is to take care of the middle-to-lower and lower income groups,” he added. - The Star
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