KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa today tabled the much-awaited Health White Paper to be debated and approved in the Dewan Rakyat.
Dr Zaliha said the document outlines the current status, gaps and constraints faced by the country’s health system, and proposed structural and systemic solutions that included reforms in service delivery, financing and governance over a period of 15 years.
“The Health White Paper proposes four pillars and 15 strategies. The first pillar is transforming health service delivery, comprising primary, secondary and tertiary cares.
“The second pillar is enhancing health promotion and disease prevention, the third pillar is ensuring sustainable and equitable healthcare funding, and fourthly, strengthening the fundamentals and governance of the health system,” she said.
Elaborating, she said the document also details the measures to reform the health system that need to be implemented carefully and in phases over a 15-year timeline.
Dr Zaliha said that the short-term phase will commence in 2024, the medium-term phase will begin in 2029, and the long-term phase will run from 2034 to 2039.
The Health White Paper also proposes the establishment of a monitoring body to ensure that reform measures are implemented in a continuous and transparent manner and meet their objectives.
“To maintain the commitment of all stakeholders, this body will report the achievements of the reforms periodically to Parliament and the people.
“The establishment of the body will create a check and balance mechanism to ensure that the country’s efforts and commitment to reform the health system are time-proof and immune to political and economic changes over the next 15 years,” she said.
The 57-page Health White Paper can be accessed and downloaded on the Parliament’s website.
— Bernama
