Health Ministry studying ways to reduce congestion in health facilities

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is studying ways to reduce congestion at its facilities, including expanding "virtual clinics" and promoting home visits.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said they will be studying ways to manage crowds at its healthcare facilities.

"We are thinking of expanding the concept of virtual clinics among our patients, and we are looking into ways by which the patients need not collect medicine; we will send it.

"We are looking into ways by which we can deliver our services to the patient's home - such as in communities like longhouses - so that patients don't have to come to the hospitals," he said in his daily press briefing on Monday (June 8).

He also said that they are looking at how hospitals and health clinics can arrange for staggered appointments so that their service hours will be spaced out.

"We are looking at steps that we can take to practise social distancing, such as having an appointment system so that patients will only come in at fixed times.

"We have to avoid congestion in the waiting room," he said.