The Malaysian Insight

BUDGET 2021 should have an allocation for non-Covid-19 patients to receive treatment at private hospitals to leave public healthcare facilities free to respond to the epidemic, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) said.

It said the recommendation was not meant to benefit the private facilities but it was in the government’s interest to ensure healthcare for all.

As the coronavirus outbreak was expected to persist until next year, the group said the government should plan the funds for such a move.

“We pity the non-Covid patients who have to wait (a long time) while the medical staff are occupied with (dealing with) the pandemic,” said APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh in a reaction to the national budget tabled yesterday. 

He said APHM’s proposal would let private hospitals play a supporting role in easing the burden of public hospitals. 

“We cannot help them for free, but it is definitely cheaper to outsource the patient to us in the interim period.”

Meanwhile, APHM said it was pleased that Budget 2021 was focused on containment measures for the infection.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has announced a higher expenditure ceiling for the Covid-19 Fund  by RM20 billion to RM65 billion . 

The funds are for the period until 2022. 

Health experts have said that the RM31.94 billion allocated to the Health Ministry under Budget 2021 was insufficient in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

The allocation is only a little more than the ministry’s budget this year of RM30.6 billion. – November 7, 2020.