PUTRAJAYA: To date, there are 780,000 individuals who are registered as “person with disabilities” (OKU) in the country, which translates to 2.3% of the population.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the current registration is significantly lower than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimate of the country’s OKU group of 16%, meaning there are still those who are falling through the cracks and are left without getting proper treatment or intervention.
“I find the disparity in these numbers completely unacceptable. This means there is still much work that needs to be done,” he said after launching the OKU Healthcare Seminar at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here yesterday.
Dzulkefly said OKU consists of seven categories with varying healthcare needs, and stressed that the healthcare system must be prepared for all types of needs.
As such, he stressed that the first is to identify the existence of OKU individuals, followed by ensuring they are officially registered with the ministry.
“This is my emphasis and my directive: first, identify; second, register; third, screen; and fourth, treat.
“Health screening is only useful when matched with the appropriate treatment. Screening without providing treatment will not yield any health benefits,” he added.
Dzukelfly said the ministry is also strengthening hospital-based services for the OKU.
He said the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is now operating in 95 hospitals, with 740 cochlear implant surgeries carried out since 2008.
For mental health, psychiatric services are available in 70 hospitals, supported by 40 Mentari community mental health centres, which provide treatment, therapy, rehabilitation and employment support for OKU.
He said state hospitals also run Child Development Centres offering multidisciplinary, family-centred interventions.
“There are also community-level programmes such as Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti Ku Sihat, health screenings for OKU trainees, and school health screenings to help identify health issues earlier.
“Domiciliary and palliative care services have also been enhanced to ensure bed-bound patients receive continuous treatment at home,” he added.
Dzulkefly also highlighted that Malaysia has gained recognition for its OKU-friendly pharmaceutical innovations, including OKU-friendly medicine labels, drug information for deaf community and the use of sign language during medication counselling.
