Health White Paper: Sarawak to give inputs, says Deputy Premier

KUCHING, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak state government will prepare all the required information for the Health Ministry, including their demand to have autonomy on certain matters concerning health issues in the state, to facilitate Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin when tabling a Health White Paper in the Parliament.

Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said his ministry along with Sarawak legal advisor, Datuk Seri JC Fong and a number of medical experts had organised a round table discussion with all federal and state agencies to get inputs to be presented to Khairy.

He said the inputs will be refined and shared with the Premier of Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg before being presented to the Health Minister.

He told this to reporters after officiating at the closing ceremony of the state local authority level innovative and creative group convention here, today.

Dr Sim, who is also the state Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister said  Khairy will table the White Paper in October or November this year.

“I want to thank all those people (involved) who are (from) various agencies. They will produce more detailed reports and then the report will be submitted (to me). I will present it to Khairy because we want whatever we have reported being part of the White Paper that is going to be tabled in Parliament,” he said.

In June, Khairy said his ministry is proposing the establishment of a Healthcare Reform Commission whose task is to independently monitor, advise and report on the status of healthcare reform implementation to the government, Parliament and the people, adding that the ministry was considering four broad areas of reform in developing a Health White Paper aimed exactly at making the case for structural changes as tough as they may be to future-proof Malaysia’s healthcare system. 

-- BERNAMA