PETALING JAYA: Given the financial constraints of the country, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad says he will be more resourceful in finding other means of financing for the Health Ministry.
"I want to see an incremental increase in the yearly budget allocation to the Health Ministry.
"I will be very realistic about this and will not be too pushy, but if worse comes to worse, and I don't get the resources, then I have to be more resourceful in finding other means of financing.
"And I already have something up my sleeves," the Health Minister said during the Breakfast Grille programme on the Business Radio Station (BFM89.9) on Monday morning (June 25).
Dr Dzulkefly said he was aware of the country's financial problems although he was looking forward to seeing an incremental yearly increase in the Health Ministry's budget in the next five years.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has said that the country's national debt was more than RM1 trillion.
Previously, during Dr Dzulkefly's first day at work at the Health Ministry, he said that the Ministry will increase spending on healthcare, targeting 6% to 7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Currently, the spending for the healthcare sector is only 4.4% of GDP.
However, during the interview with BFM89.9, Dr Dzulkefly did not mention what ideas he had to find other resources for the Ministry when he was probed further.
"I will keep it for another day, but this is what I am going to go through and I have already mention this to Tun (Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and the Cabinet," he said.
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