KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is looking to roll out a cloud-based Hospital Information System (HIS) at its facilities starting this year, says deputy health minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
Done on a subscription basis, the digitalisation effort is expected to take three years, with targeted completion in 2028.
“The digitalisation of the healthcare system through the use of the Electronic Medical Record based on cloud computing is a strategic measure by MOH to manage patient load at hospitals, therefore increasing treatment efficiency and patient management,” he said during question time in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 13).
Other initiatives are also being taken to overcome the issue of rising patient load at government hospitals.
This includes the cluster hospital initiative, which brings specialist service to rural areas and the hospital services outsourcing programme, whereby patients from MOH hospitals are outsourced to private hospitals for certain cardiology, cardiothoracic, nephrology and radiology procedures, therefore reducing wait times.
“Public-private partnership projects are carried out to reduce the wait time for surgical services,” he said.
Aside from that, virtual clinics are also offered by the pharmacy units to reduce congestion at clinics.
Meanwhile, Lukanisman said 33 "wellness hubs" have been operating nationwide since July 2024.
A wellness hub is a one-stop-centre offering comprehensive services such as health screenings, nutritional advice, mental health support, and more.
Existing patients from healthcare facilities will be referred to these hubs via the myVAS system, whereas the public can set appointments via the MySejahtera application, he said.
“At this juncture, 18,807 people have used MySejahtera to get an appointment,” he said, adding that the Wellness on Wheels services are also being offered.
He was responding to a question by Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) on whether the ministry would reduce patient load at hospitals by increasing wellness hubs and using technology such as telemedicine.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said on Feb 2 that digitalising key services has reduced wait time in major primary care clinics from three hours to just 30 minutes.
Dzulkefly said the initiative, which began with 107 clinics in 2007, had expanded to 159 clinics this month, an increase of almost 49%.
