By Mustakim Ramli
KUALA SELANGOR, July 3 — Health provisions must be increased to ensure Malaysia does not lag behind when it comes to the technological aspect of treatment methods, said Public Health Advisory Council member Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The former health minister said currently the health sector’s allocation only stands at two per cent of the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“We should spend a minimum of five per cent of the GDP in the health sector, does anybody know how much we spend now? Less than two per cent.
“In early 2019, when I was the Health Minister, I asked the Pakatan Harapan government for five per cent or four per cent of the GDP for the health sector, since I saw this as important,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefly was speaking during a discussion session at the Jelajah Selangor Penyayang roadshow in Kuala Selangor, on the topic of ‘Quality Health, Defending the People’ on the grounds of Stadium Kuala Selangor yesterday.
He added that Malaysia was previously recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having the best health sector in the past 30 years, but this surge of excellence ceased after 2000.
“The country was recognised as having a good health system in the past century and was used as a measure in certain matters including infant mortality after childbirth, which went from 60 deaths in every 1,000 births down to 12 deaths.
“This indicated good progress. The mortality rate for mothers who gave birth out of 100,000 births, went from nearly 150 deaths to 40 deaths instead,” Dr Dzulkefly said.
He said from 1970 to 2000, Malaysia had a developed health sector, after which it began to level.
