Public-private partnership in healthcare way to go for future

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 -- The public-private partnership (PPP) in Malaysia’s healthcare system needs to be further strengthened in order to prepare the country to face any possible pandemic in the future.

Taking the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, the president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said the private hospitals are capable enough to help the government especially on decanting process, or the transfer of a portion of non-COVID-19 patients.

“It is pointless for the government to keep building more facilities when there are so many facilities available in the private sector. In the Klang Valley alone, for example, there are more private hospitals than public hospitals.” 

He said this during the session on 'What do health systems have to do to prepare for the next pandemic' at the Malaysia Healthcare Conference 2021 held virtually today.

Dr Kuljit also said that further discussions were also needed for all quarters to be more realistic on the bill and fees for treatments, and also to come up with costs that are probably sustainable for private hospitals in future.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said the PPP should have kicked off immediately when the COVID-19 struck the country.

He said the number of screenings and the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) could have been done faster and reached the target as set by the government.

“There are nearly 6,000 private general practitioners (GP) and 20,000 medical graduates nationwide who could help the government in handling this pandemic,” he added.

Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba officiated the two-day conference organised by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific (KSI) with the theme ‘Accelerating the Transformation of Health Systems in a Pandemic - Challenges & Opportunities’.

-- BERNAMA