PUTRAJAYA: The government is looking to expand its medicine delivery programme nationwide, with patients no longer required to bear the cost of receiving their medication through the post, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the Communications Ministry and Health Ministry (MOH) are currently finalising arrangements to strengthen the “Ubat Melalui Pos” programme, which delivers medicines to eligible patients under MOH’s care.
“I have asked the Communications Ministry and MOH to look into another government service, namely medicine delivery.
“We have seen a model that can be supported and, in the not-too-distant future, I believe we can manage the delivery of medicines to all Malaysians who require it under MOH,” he said here on Monday (June 15).
He said this in his speech at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the MOH and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for the Persada initiative.
Also present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Fahmi said he was informed that around 80,000 patients use the service each month.
He said the programme would be fully funded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and MOH, meaning patients would no longer have to pay for medicine deliveries.
“The service will be managed and borne entirely by MCMC and KKM, so patients will no longer need to pay.
“We will discuss and align several matters to make the delivery process easier,” he said.
According to Fahmi, the initiative will be funded using Federal Government allocations, with the annual cost estimated at RM5.69mil.
He said the government hopes to begin implementing the arrangement as early as July in every state.
“If possible, we want to start as soon as possible.
“By July, we hope to begin in every state so that the cost does not have to be borne by any party, especially the patients.
“It will be fully covered by the government,” he said.
Fahmi said the programme serves patients from various disease categories and household income groups, adding that eligibility is determined entirely by MOH.
“We are not involved in selecting the patients. That is completely under MOH.
“However, since the service is provided through Pos Malaysia, which is a licensee under MCMC, we will manage the programme,” he said.
