Steady hands for nation’s healthcare

No instant repairs: Dzulkefly notes that the nation’s healthcare system is in need of many fundamental reforms, which means there are no quick fixes.

PUTRAJAYA: After holding the Health Minister’s post for almost a year, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad says he realised that people want an immediate fix to their problems.While they want issues such as waiting times for treatment and lack of parking lots to be resolved quickly, he said he has to grapple with the greater policies, structures, systems and technological issues that contribute to the shortcomings and inadequacies in healthcare delivery.

For a start, he said he was pleased with the increase in budget allocation to the ministry – from RM26.58bil in 2018 to RM28.68bil this year. It is a 7.12% increase in management expenditure.