MOH considering expanding outsourcing services to settle backlog cases

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 24  -- The Health Ministry (MOH) is studying various methods to resolve the backlog issue at ministry facilities, including expanding outsourcing of medical services.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it includes discussions with armed forces hospitals and university teaching hospitals on matters in which they could be of assistance. 

He said the ministry had begun outsourcing medical services (for non-COVID-19 patients) to private hospitals since 2020 to overcome the backlog issue.

“Although outsourcing has been around since 2020, the number of backlog cases is still high as there are limitations, including the lack of experts in private facilities and the lack of private hospitals in certain states,” he said during a media conference about COVID-19 developments here today.

He provided details on the backlog of non-COVID-19 cases in ministry facilities, stating that data since Sept 1 showed there were 57,355 backlog cases for surgical-based and medical-based procedures.

“A total of 93.8 per cent or 53,785 are surgical-based cases, including general surgeries, urology, paediatric surgeries, plastic and reconstructive surgeries, cardiothoracic surgeries, gynecology, orthopedic and ophthalmology cases.

“From that total, 97.4 per cent or 52,373 are non-cancer surgeries while 2.6 per cent or 1,412 involve cancer cases,” he added.

Meanwhile, 6.2 per cent or 3,570 (from a total of 57,355 backlog cases) are medical-based procedures, including angiograms, radiotherapy and other treatments.

From the total of 3,570, Khairy said 2,964 (83 per cent) were non-cancer cases, 15 per cent or 534 were cancer cases, and two per cent or 72 cases involved transplant procedures.

-- BERNAMA