Govt to shortlist private hospitals for healthcare outsourcing, says Dzulkefly
Published on: Saturday, June 15, 2024
By:
FMT, Rex Tan
Health minister Dzukefly Ahmad giving a speech at the launch of Shopee’s Mum’s Club in Puncak Alam today.
KUALA SELANGOR: Some 95 private hospitals have submitted proposals to participate in the public healthcare system outsourcing programme, says health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Dzulkefly said his ministry is currently in the process of shortlisting proposals from these private hospitals following a request for proposals (RFP) in March.
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He said the outsourcing covers cardiothoracic surgery, medical imaging, cardiology services, and nephrology to manage patient demand and reduce wait times in government hospitals and specialist centres.
“When our capacity can’t handle the amount of patients or when the wait time becomes too long, we will outsource the services.
“The budget is around RM200 million, of which RM144 million is specifically for hospital outsourcing,” he told a press conference after launching the Shopee’s Mum’s Club programme in Puncak Alam here.
On June 4, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) reiterated its offer to assist the government in conducting cardiac surgeries, in view of the lack of cardiothoracic surgeons at public hospitals.
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APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh said there were seven private cardiac surgery facilities in the Klang Valley, five centres in Penang, and six private institutions in the southern region staffed with 10 to 15 senior cardiac surgeons, the majority of whom were trained via the parallel pathway programme.
Separately, Dzukefly urged e-commerce platforms to comply with the safety regulations set by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), medical device authority and pharmacy enforcement division.
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“From time to time, I’m aware there are complaints against food supplements, medicine, or cosmetic products from these platforms but that shouldn’t be happening,” he said.
He added that the NPRA constantly monitors products sold on all platforms and will request the removal of non-compliant products if any are found.
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