The Malaysian Insight

A DAP lawmaker today urged Putrajaya to inject an additional RM20.7 billion into the Health Ministry’s budget allocation, to ensure the ministry has sufficient funds to provide affordable medicine. 

Klang MP Charles Santiago said the additional allocation would help meet the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that 7% of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should be allocated to healthcare.

“Late last evening, I filed a motion under Section 55 (3) and 57 (2) of the Parliament Standing Order to transfer funds to the Health Ministry from the Prime Minister’s Department (PMO) and Defence Ministry. 

“My proposal would require a transfer of RM12.4 billion and RM8.3 billion from PMO and Defence Ministry respectively. The purpose of the fund transfer is to ensure that the Health Ministry has the money to grant access to affordable medicine for all Malaysians,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.

He said although the government is still subsidising patients in public hospitals, other subsidies were eliminated costs were being passed on to patients over the past few years.

“The ministry recently indicated that the cost of medication for breast cancer and colorectal cancer is between RM50,000 and RM300,000.

“And the health minister has admitted that the insufficient funds have resulted in 39% out-of-pocket expenditure this year, shifting the financial burden onto patients,” he said.

He also urged other MPs to support the move to push the government to allocate 7% of Malaysia’s GDP for healthcare.

The Health Ministry’s allocation under Budget 2018 is RM26.58 billion, which is 9.5% or RM1.7 billion more than what it received in the 2017 budget.

Santiago last week said the government only allocated RM24.8 billion for healthcare in 2017 amounting to 9.5% of the budget. – November 14, 2017.