PeKa B40 becomes PeKa Sihat in healthcare revamp as govt looks to ease clinic queues

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The Health Ministry's PeKa B40 healthcare programme will adopt a new name, PeKa Sihat, with the intention of enhancing its effectiveness and reducing strain on public health clinics, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced today. Fahmi disclosed that the Cabinet had approved the proposed amendments to the programme, which is centered on addressing non-communicable diseases.

He explained that the Cabinet had taken into account the programme's effectiveness in tackling non-communicable diseases. At a post-Cabinet media briefing, Fahmi stated that the Health Ministry was coordinating several measures to improve the programme's effectiveness, including relieving congestion at public health clinics by leveraging participating clinics in the PeKa B40 initiative.

Fahmi indicated that the Health Ministry would provide additional details about the rebranded PeKa Sihat programme. PeKa B40, or Skim Peduli Kesihatan untuk Kumpulan B40 in Malay, was launched in 2019 to support the healthcare needs of lower-income groups, focusing on the early detection and management of non-communicable diseases.

The programme is managed by ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia operating under the Health Ministry.