KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The government cannot keep constructing new hospitals and clinics without reducing excessive demand for health care from the non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis, says the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy.
The think tank expressed support for Ministry of Health (MOH) deputy secretary-general (finance) Norazman Ayob’s recent comments at a conference, where he said the public health care system is reaching its “end of capacity” due to Malaysians getting increasingly sicker with chronic conditions.
“The Galen Centre also believes that simply building more hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities do not address the root of the problem and could instead cause more harm,” Galen Centre chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said in a statement today.
At the MIH Megatrends 2024 conference last October 25, Norazman said the MOH is now increasingly pivoting towards public-private partnerships to outsource services, stressing that the government cannot keep building new hospitals or clinics due to a limited health budget.
Most existing MOH facilities, according to the high-ranking official, are already at “saturation point”, without having the space to accommodate new equipment or laboratories.
Azrul cited statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 that found nearly 2.3 million adults in Malaysia live with three NCDs out of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, or obesity. Over half a million live with all four conditions.
More than half of adults (54 per cent) are overweight or obese. Nearly one in four Malaysian adults are obese.
“Diabetes is one of the top causes of death in Malaysia. One in six adult Malaysians are living with diabetes – among the highest rates in the region. At least 15.5 per cent or more than five million people are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD),” Azrul said.
“Each day, 28 individuals in this country will have been newly diagnosed with kidneys that have permanently failed, needing dialysis to live. More children are becoming diabetic and obese. Kids are being diagnosed with high blood pressure.”
Azrul pointed out that hospital beds are full and clinics are packed with patients because Malaysians are getting increasingly ill from chronic diseases that affect their productivity, quality of life, and ability to live.
“The excessive demand and burden on the health care system must be reduced. Malaysians need to take charge, be encouraged to be healthier, more active, and care about their health and those of their family members and community,” he stressed.
The Galen Centre pointed out that although Budget 2025 allocated an increase in the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, the government continues to subsidise sugar up to RM600 million annually. Malaysians consume an average of 12 teaspoons of sugar daily from beverages alone.
“Politicians are opposed to restricting late-night eateries despite evidence which show that late eating is associated with increased obesity risk, increased body fat, impaired weight loss success, and onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Amputations due to diabetes have even become jokes and memes on social media,” said Azrul.
He also noted that despite multiple Members of Parliament requesting the construction of more hospitals, clinics, and haemodialysis centres in their constituencies, elected representatives do not address the “massive” shortage of doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals in both the public and private sectors.
“This shows an incomplete understanding of what is needed to protect and support our public health care system. This is not a computer game where a single click to build a hospital automatically comes with staff,” Azrul said.
“We need the government to introduce initiatives which encourage and incentivise people to be interested in building careers and taking up jobs in healthcare. On the other hand, building more health care facilities today, even in East Malaysia where the need is great, will instead create massive manpower shortages and imbalance as we do not have doctors, nurses, and medical staff to fill them.”
