KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 – The government today proposed a medical scheme called “Skim Perubatan Madani” for the poor seeking treatment from private general practitioner (GP) clinics.
Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the prime minister, said RM120 million has been allocated for this scheme under Budget 2023.
When tabling the federal budget in the Dewan Rakyat today, Anwar compared the Madani Medical Scheme to what is currently being implemented by the Selangor state government, but did not elaborate further.
It is unclear which Selangor state government programme Anwar is referring to.
“This will make it easier for people to see their GPs, as they don’t need to go to the hospital for mild conditions, but can be managed by their GP,” Anwar told Parliament.
The Selangor state government’s Iltizam Selangor Sihat (ISS) programme offers state residents up to RM500 in financial assistance for basic medical care, including outpatient treatment and vaccinations.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the “Skim Perubatan Madani”, a pilot project, operates like a medical card with a certain amount of “annual credit” for a selected number of people from the bottom 40 per cent (B40) of income earners to see a private GP.
“This may help reduce need for them to go to ETD (emergency and trauma department), thus reduce congestion,” the government backbencher tweeted.
