Dr Kelvin Yii (Bandar Kuching-PH) says a payroll-funded social health insurance scheme with 5% employee and 5% employer contributions can add RM15 billion to RM17 billion annually to health care spending.
Selangor public health exco Jamaliah Jamaluddin plans to kick off anti-smoking/ vaping campaigns targeting youths to cut smoking/ vaping prevalence in the state, without awaiting Putrajaya. "We don't want to wait for whatever happens at the federal level."
There are 9,562 licensed and registered counsellors in Malaysia, of which only 369, or 3.9%, work in MOH, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa. The government has extended the contracts of 200 contract counsellors, who were hired in 2020, until Aug 2025.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa vows no compromise on bullying of health care workers, urging them to use the MyHelp bullying complaints channel. An NST editorial says MyHelp and HWCITF aren't working, otherwise doctors wouldn't be writing to the press.
Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Bersatu) says MOH’s 2024 budget of RM41.2 billion is “not enough” and calls for health care services to be exempted from the proposed SST hike from 6% to 8%.
Contract officers can now claim for interstate transfers, after JPA expanded eligibility effective Oct 9, 2023. This will benefit ~1,900 contract MOs, dentists & pharmacists for permanent appointments this Dec 18, but not those who relocated last July 31.
Devex rose from 13% to 15% of MOH's 2024 budget; percentage allocations of nearly all opex items dropped, including several medical (paediatrics, psychiatry etc) and public health (disease control) programmes. RM1.5bil allocated for additional emoluments.
The Galen Centre says MOH's RM41.2 billion 2024 budget is a "major shot in the arm", but questions the absence of government plans to address brain drain of health care professionals like doctors, nurses, and specialists from the public sector and country.
The Ministry of Health received an impressive 13.5% raise, or an increase of RM4.9 billion from 2023, to an RM41.2 billion allocation under Budget 2024. This comprises RM35.2 billion for operating expenditure and RM6.1 billion for development expenses.
A health inspectors union demands an MOH probe into the case of a U29 assistant environmental health officer (PPKP) in Kinta PKD, Perak, who was allegedly summoned for filing a SISPAA complaint about superiors shirking and fobbing off work onto U29 PPKPs.