KUCHING: A Sarawakian lawmaker has called for an integrated national rehabilitation network to provide lifelong support for children with cerebral palsy, alongside better data from a national registry.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said children with cerebral palsy often required lifelong rehabilitation involving physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, orthopaedic specialists, psychologists and nutritionists.
However, he said public rehabilitation services faced constraints such as long waiting times, a shortage of specialists and disparities in service availability nationwide.
He also said the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) has internationally recognised rehabilitation facilities equipped with technology, specialised teams and modern programmes.
"The government should review the relevant provisions under the Employees' Social Security Act, which governs PERKESO's rehabilitation services, together with the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act to facilitate greater collaboration between the Health Ministry, PERKESO rehabilitation hospitals and accredited private rehabilitation centres.
"This would create a genuine integrated healthcare network, where rehabilitation services are delivered based on patients' clinical needs rather than institutional boundaries," he said in a statement on Monday (June 29).
Through this approach, he added, suitable cerebral palsy patients can receive treatment at PERKESO and private facilities when public facilities are full.
Yii was responding to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's parliamentary reply earlier on Monday outlining the healthcare services provided to children with cerebral palsy.
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These include developmental screening, rehabilitation treatment, support for families and caregivers, as well as collaboration with other government agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Yii also called for a national cerebral palsy registry to provide accurate data and improve policymaking.
With such a registry, he said, the government can identify trends and risk factors, strengthen early diagnosis and intervention, project future care requirements and support clinical research.
"This ensures healthcare resources are planned and allocated efficiently based on actual patient needs rather than estimates," he said.
