KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 – Dr Zaliha Mustafa said today that she has requested for funding from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to improve health service delivery and upgrade Ministry of Health (MOH) health care facilities.
The health minister, who provided updates on MOH’s meeting with MOF earlier today on the upcoming Budget 2023, added that their discussion also touched on digitalising health care services, improving MOH’s disaster preparedness, and “initiatives” related to treatment facilities for the bottom 40 per cent (B40) nationwide.
She did not specify the proposed initiatives for the B40.
“The meeting also touched on allocations for mental health services, psychosocial support, and the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health,” Dr Zaliha tweeted.
The health minister did not specify if she had asked MOF to provide extra funding to increase staffing in MOH or to give health care workers a pay bump, amid reports of severe staff shortages.
Instead, she simply said: “At the same time, I reiterated my stance that financial aspects are one of the factors that are taken into account in resolving arising issues, such as positions for health care workers. The financial aspect is also one of the factors taken into account in resolving arising issues.”
CodeBlue’s nationwide survey among 1,652 contract and permanent health care professionals and workers in the public sector last month, mostly MOH staff, found that more than 70 per cent of respondents complained of being overworked, underpaid, and burned out.
A whopping 95 per cent believe that the public health care system is currently in crisis, 73 per cent are thinking of quitting their jobs, and 52 per cent are willing to go on strike.
