Kuala Lumpur, August 6 — Improving the patient experience in Malaysian health care must be the priority for the health sector in the years ahead, a Ministry of Health (MOH) official said today.
Deputy Director General of Health (Research and Technical Support) Dr Christopher Lee also emphasised the need for medical innovation and treatment approaches to always place patients and people at the centre of health care.
“Technology will not take away the need for doctors and physicians to communicate with patients and their families. We must always be able to communicate and inform them on what goes on in the course of treatment, to deal with worries, concerns and fears. What the numbers and lines on the screens mean for their loved one.
“Better health care technology can make us do this and be better physicians. But it will change the way we work today. Are we ready for change?” he asked during his keynote speech delivered at the launch of the Philips Connected Care Symposium in Kuala Lumpur today
In later remarks, Dr Lee highlighted the government’s vision of seeing patient data or electronic medical records (EMR) being easily accessed and made available for patients, regardless of whether it is a government or private health care facility.
He also said MOH will continue to focus, balance and increase investments in strengthening primary care services, particularly for under-served and rural communities, such as those in East Malaysia.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad recently made a visit to the Klinik Kesihatan Kuala Lawas in rural Sarawak.
The district is best known for the case of Kam Agong, who died in 2002 from bleeding after a caesarean section. It drew public attention to the challenges of rural communities in East Malaysia accessing basic health care services.
