Health financing reform needed after years of underfunding, says MP
PETALING JAYA: While it may be a “very controversial and unpopular conversation”, Malaysia needs to reform its health financing system to counter years of underfunding, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said today.
Speaking at a webinar, Yii, who heads the parliamentary select committee on health, science and innovation, said that Malaysia’s current healthcare system is “really good” as citizens spend only RM1 to see a doctor at a public hospital and RM5 for a specialist.
Yii said that although surgeries may cost RM100 in public hospitals, the same procedures could cost up to tens of thousands of ringgit in private facilities.
“Many people say the healthcare system and medicine are free in Malaysia,” he said.
“I don’t like that term. Whenever people say that I tell them, ‘Don’t say it’s free. Say instead that it is subsidised’.
“Because if it’s free, people will think it’s cheap. But the fact remains that healthcare is a very expensive thing, but it is paid for by the government. But how long can we do that?”
Yii said he realises the need for the government to play its role in providing easy access to healthcare for the people, but believes there should be other ways to finance healthcare, be it via social insurance or some other means.
“I know it’s a very unpopular thing, but I am willing to say it in public. I accept, however, that any government which dares to change the current system will lose the election,” he added.
Yii also pointed out that certain countries had better public healthcare systems than Malaysia but only because it was financed by a high income tax rate.
“This would be a very difficult conversation to have in Malaysia.”
He said that previous suggestions to tax 10% of a person’s income, on top of a person’s income tax, was met with brickbats and a lot of resistance largely due to the lack of trust between the people and the government.
“(But) if people are willing to pay higher taxes, and those taxes are transparently invested into healthcare, I am personally alright with that.
“But then we have to have a more transparent system in terms of government spending. That has to be in place first before we can ever consider such an idea again,” he added.
He also suggested that the country increase its percentage of GDP spent on healthcare but admitted it would have to come at the cost of other areas of expenditure for the people.
Yii was speaking at a webinar titled “Hartal Doctor Contract 2.0? Claims for a concrete plan” which was organised by the Sabah-based think-tank Wisdom Foundation.
Wisdom Foundation chairman Wilfred Madius Tangau supported Yii’s call, proposing a system where the fee is retained at RM1 for those from B40 households but proportionally increases for members from the M40 and T20 income bracket.
“This is something that is very important for us to realise,” the Tuaran MP said. - FMT
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