By Sheeda Fathil
GOMBAK, Feb 26 — The Federal government’s aim of forming Skim Perubatan Madani by using the Selangor health scheme as an example is a gesture of appreciation for its efforts, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said the scheme provides individuals from the B40 group an opportunity to seek treatment in private hospitals, without having to crowd the public hospitals.
“An issue that frequently arises is overcrowding in public hospitals. The government will improve the quality of the service, but this will naturally take time.
“While the public health sector is being improved, there will probably be new births and a population increase, so this scheme is one of the solutions to encourage people to go to private hospitals or clinics with subsidies provided by the (Federal) government.
“Simultaneously, these private hospitals or clinics ultimately help reduce congestion in public hospitals, even though the government has to spend a lot of money to ensure the health of the people,” Amirudin said.
The Menteri Besar was speaking at the inauguration of the Laman Herba community garden for the Hulu Kelang state constituency, at its community service centre yesterday.
During the tabling of the revised Budget 2023 on Friday (February 24), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the implementation of Skim Perubatan Madani on the national level, in the vein of the state government’s efforts.
With a RM120 million allocation, the scheme provides B40 individuals with the opportunity to see a General Medical Officer at a private clinic, without having to go to the Emergency Department at a government hospital.
