PETALING JAYA: As the year draws to a close, the healthcare sector reflects a turbulent year of challenges and progress.
In ending 2024, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad officially marked one year in office following his return to the health portfolio during the Cabinet reshuffle in December 2023.
Previously, Dzulkefly had served as Health Minister for 22 months under the Pakatan Harapan administration.
Throughout the year, a long-standing issue in Malaysia’s healthcare sector – the shortage and uneven distribution of healthcare workers – remained a concern.
Between 2019 and 2023, some 6,417 permanent and contract medical officers resigned from the service.
Dzulkefly, however, clarified that 3,200 of these resignations were procedural, as these individuals transitioned into permanent roles.
Infrastructure failures also plagued the sector, notably at the Serdang Hospital Heart Centre’s new wing.
The Star broke the story in May that four operating theatres in the 18-month-old facility were non-functional due to faulty air conditioning, delaying surgeries for some 1,000 heart patients.
Although immediate repairs were ordered, multiple electrical issues caused another three-week closure of some of the operating theatres just a month later.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni informed the Dewan Rakyat last month that repairs and upgrades were completed by Aug 15, with the theatres now fully operational.
The Star had also reported in March that a shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons left some 1,500 heart and lung disease patients in dire straits in government hospitals.
The issue stemmed from Malaysian graduates of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh being unable to practise locally due to non-recognition of their qualifications by the Malaysian Medical Council.
What began as a conflict between the parallel pathway and Master’s specialist training programmes – which further exacerbated the existing specialist shortage – ended on a high note with amendments to the Medical Act.
These amendments, passed by Parliament, addressed specialist registration issues and recognised the parallel pathway training programme by the Health Ministry, alleviating the specialist shortage.
Medical inflation and rising insurance premiums dominated the headlines later in the year, with some policyholders reporting increases of 40% to 70%.
Unable to bear these costs, some individuals abandoned their insurance coverage altogether.
To curb the crisis, Bank Negara Malaysia intervened, directing insurers to cap premium hikes at a maximum of 10% annually.
Looking ahead to 2025, the introduction of Diagnosis-Related Groups is expected to be a significant reform in Malaysia’s healthcare system next year.
This will establish a predetermined payment system, replacing the current fee-for-service model, to streamline healthcare costs.
While 2024 highlighted the pressing challenges within the healthcare sector, steps towards policy reform and infrastructure improvement offer hope for a more efficient and accessible healthcare system in the coming year.
