KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 1,076 children with cerebral palsy have been registered and received early intervention at government health clinics nationwide since 2016, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Responding to Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching), who called for the establishment of a national cerebral palsy registry, Dzulkefly said Health Ministry records showed that about half of cerebral palsy patients had normal cognitive function, while the remainder experienced varying degrees of cognitive impairment.
He said the ministry provides comprehensive healthcare services for children with cerebral palsy through early developmental screening, rehabilitation treatment, support for families and caregivers, as well as collaboration with other government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
"The initiatives include regular developmental screening, health education, home care training and access to community-based rehabilitation centres (PDK)," he told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (June 29).
Dzulkefly added that the ministry also provides support for intermittent catheterisation management in schools to help meet the individual needs of children requiring the procedure.
On financial assistance, he said direct aid falls under the jurisdiction of other agencies, including the Social Welfare Department.
However, he said the ministry continues to help eligible patients by providing rehabilitation equipment and assistive devices based on clinical assessments.
The assistance is channelled through the Medical Assistance Fund at government hospitals and the Malaysian Medical Welfare Fund which is managed by the Medical Social Services Division and the National Cancer Council.
For patients who do not qualify for the assistance schemes, Dzulkefly said the ministry provides counselling services and prescriptions for assistive devices to help them seek support from NGOs and other relevant agencies.
During supplementary questions, Yii said Malaysia currently does not have a formal national registry for cerebral palsy and proposed that the ministry establish one to improve policymaking.
He said such a registry would enable the government to better understand trends in cerebral palsy cases and develop more effective intervention measures for affected children and their families.
