Reformasi kesihatan ambil masa, momentum mesti dikekalkan, kata pakar

Malaysia's health reform process, known as RESET, is a long-term initiative that requires considerable patience, according to Dr June Choon, a professor at Sunway University. The process involves several strategic pillars, including improving private health insurance and health and takaful schemes, enhancing healthcare digital systems, expanding affordable treatment options, and changing payment methods for service providers.

Choon emphasized that the true measure of the reform's success is whether it leads to better and more equitable access to healthcare for patients. He stressed that a cautious approach should not be an excuse to move too slowly without a reasonable justification. The framework of RESET includes five strategic pillars to systematically address healthcare inflation and make private health insurance more accessible, affordable, and convenient.

However, Choon warned that the success of such reform efforts depends on sustained commitment from various parties and is not reliant on a single minister. He also highlighted the need for a dedicated and sustainable financing mechanism for healthcare reform as a crucial strategic pillar. Choon echoed the concern about the incomplete digital infrastructure when private and public healthcare data are still stored in separate systems.

He emphasized that without a comprehensive overview, the process of change can be slow, and it may take decades to determine if a particular approach has been successful. Health analyst Chua Hong Teck agreed that the Malaysian health reform strategy requires a long-term approach. He stressed that significant changes rarely happen overnight and can take generations.

Chua, who previously headed the National Health Economics Division at the Prime Minister's Department, also pointed out that the Health Ministry's role in managing both policy and day-to-day operations can divert attention from reform efforts. He suggested that private insurance reform should not be viewed as a standalone solution and should be implemented alongside other components of RESET, such as price rationalization and shifting towards a diagnosis-based payment system to effectively address healthcare inflation.