11MP Malaysia will have a 1:400 doctor to population ratio by the year 2020 with the healthcare system improved through various strategies under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11th MP).
The upcoming five years will also see the ratio of hospital beds to the population being reduced to 2.3 beds per 1,000 population, thus enabling more people to enjoy access to quality healthcare either in public or private facilities.
The targets will be realised through the extension of services to the under-deserved communities, especially the poor and low-income households, Orang Asli in peninsular Malaysia as well as the people in the rural and remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak.
These targets and approaches are among those listed in the 11MP, carrying the theme ‘Anchoring Growth on People’ which was tabled by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The measures include the deployment of more specialists and skilled personnel, the establishment of additional healthcare facilities in the areas of greatest need, and the expansion of outreach programmes.
The five-year plan also projects the upgrading of selected clinics into advanced clinics that provide a full range of multi-disciplinary services to enhance and support primary healthcare teams.
To improve the health delivery system, the government will review and formulate health legislation and intensify enforcement through strengthened coordination between government agencies and the private sector.
“For example, the government will consolidate health-related enforcement units in areas such as pharmaceuticals, disease control, food safety, hygiene and cleanliness, as well as medical practice and professionalism,” says the document.
It also states that the government will implement the e-Health strategy, which incorporates existing ICT systems into one system-wide model to enhance health data management, and supports research, development and commercialisation initiatives.
The report also says that the concept of cluster hospitals would be implemented in selected locations, where hospitals within the same geographical location would work as one unit, sharing resources such as assets, amenities and human resources.
- Bernama
