PUTRAJAYA: Efforts to digitalise the public healthcare system will continue to be prioritised this year with expanded rollouts planned for the Total Hospital Information System (THIS) and Cloud-Based Clinic Management System (CCMS), says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the THIS initiative would be expanded to 16 hospitals, while the CCMS is set to cover 2,489 primary healthcare facilities.
The Dental Information System is also set to be expanded to 157 dental clinics.
"We need to put an end to manual procedures and paperwork.
"This is an aggressive step towards ensuring that patient data moves together with the patient, digitally," he said in his New Year's address to ministry staff here on Tuesday (Jan 6).
Dzulkefly described the move as driving efficiency in efforts to modernise the public healthcare system.
He also expressed hope that the THIS initiative will be expanded, adding that there are plans to introduce an integrated dashboard to monitor facilities in real time.
"Our decisions must be data-driven and no longer based on estimates or anecdotes," he said, adding that he also intends to see the introduction of a dashboard tracking the management of non-communicable diseases.
On human resource matters, he said the ministry is targeting permanent positions for some 4,500 medical officers and 935 nurses this year.
An integrated human resources dashboard is also being looked into for a comprehensive view of the workforce across all the ministry’s facilities, he added.
"This allows us to make decisions based on supply, maldistribution, attrition and retention," he said.
Dzulkefly added that the ministry must work towards implementing its measures this year.
According to the minister, 2025 was for "diagnosis and planning", and such plans must be realised this year.
"We are now at a crossroads... this year, we must implement things. I have made this very clear to the top brass.
"The time has come for swift structural changes to ensure our healthcare system is truly future-ready, future-focused and future-proof," he said.
He said that, with the term of the 15th Parliament and current government ending next year, he will be "making a dash" for the finish line when it comes to improving public healthcare.
"More importantly, we have to break down the silos and work together as one big team. No one person is more important than the other, including the minister," he said.
