A steep bill of health – many cannot afford treatment

PETALING JAYA: Over the past year, 12.9% of Malaysians did not seek medical treatment due to financial factors, according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023.

The NHMS 2023 had polled 9,177 persons with a response rate of 26.5% from July 21 to Oct 13 last year.

“Among the respondents who refrained from seeking treatment from healthcare practitioners for their health problems, despite recognising the need for care, 12.9% reported that it was because treatment was too expensive or unaffordable,” said the survey.

The survey also noted that there were many public complaints regarding congestion and long waiting times at public hospitals.

According to the NHMS 2023, there was a decline in government facility utilisation from 64.2% in 2019 to 48.9% last year.

“This suggests a notable increase in the utilisation of private outpatient services among Malaysians compared with four years ago,” said the report.

At the same time, the NHMS 2023 said there was an increase in outpatient utilisation from 8.1% in 2019 to 12.5% last year.

According to the survey, 61.5% of outpatient visits were paid by the patients or their family members.

Some 18.2% of patients had funded their medical expenses through insurance, said the report, while 11.8% of Malaysians were exempted from medical fees, such as senior citizens and blood donors, among others.

Meanwhile, the NHMS 2023 also said only one in four, or 8.6 million Malaysians, had sought oral healthcare services.

“On average, there were 33 visits per 100 population to a dentist per year in 2023.

“Compared to other countries, the average visits to a dentist reported in a year range from 47 to 160 visits per 100 population,” said the NHMS 2023.