Communications Ministry, MOH Collaborate To Provide e-Health Services At Rural NADI Centres

PAPAR, July 23 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is collaborating with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to provide e-health services at National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI), particularly at over 700 centres located in rural areas nationwide.

Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said that MCMC and MOH are exploring several digital health initiatives, including telehealth services and the use of drone technology to deliver medications from selected NADI centres to nearby health clinics, depending on location suitability.

“This collaboration has begun here, and we aim to expand it to all NADI centres across the country. Our goal is to provide telehealth services to help ease the burden on people living in remote areas.

“With high-speed internet available at NADI centres, these e-health services can be delivered efficiently through the NADI-health clinic network. This will allow patients to undergo health screenings without physically visiting the clinics.”

Fahmi said this to reporters after attending the Community Engagement Day at NADI Kampung Langkuas Kinarut near here today, which was also attended by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and MOH secretary-general Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad.

Elaborating on the initiative, Fahmi noted that the use of drone technology for medication delivery to rural health clinics is still in its pilot phase.

“A few months ago, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) witnessed a drone-based medicine delivery demonstration at a NADI centre in Tawau.

“Going forward, we will hold discussions to map out the connectivity between NADI centres and health clinics. This process may be complex as it involves coordination with multiple agencies, especially concerning drone operations,” he said.

Fahmi stressed that internet speed is key to making the initiative successful, alongside close cooperation between the Ministry of Communications, MCMC, and MOH.

“Some NADI centres still operate at 100 Mbps, while others have reached up to 1 Gbps. We aim to further improve these speeds. Also, there needs to be joint training sessions between MOH and NADI managers to ensure the effective delivery of telehealth services,” he noted.

Fahmi added that the initial focus would be on rural areas, where the impact of such services would be most significant, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, with further discussions to determine which NADI and clinics would be included.

Meanwhile, Dzulkefly expressed support for the initiative, saying it would enhance access to healthcare in rural communities through selected NADI centres.

“This collaboration will bring healthcare services closer to the people. It is a timely move, as community centres like NADI can also provide health-related services such as managing communicable and chronic diseases in these areas.

“Patients will no longer need to visit health clinics to access basic healthcare, as they can do so directly through telehealth services available at their local NADI centres,” he added.

-- BERNAMA