NATIONAL HEALTH FUND: PREPARATION FOR POSSIBLE HEALTH THREATS - DZULKEFLY

KUALA LUMPUR,  July 17 (Bernama) -- The proposed establishment of a national health fund is to prepare the country against possible health threats, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the move would ensure no one would be left out in getting treatment if they are infected with a dangerous disease.

He said AMR is a condition where drugs such as antibiotics are no longer effective in dealing with an infection.

"Imagine the antibiotics that are being used today suddenly become ineffective....this concerns health financing, important that we are financially prepared.

"Preparations are necessary as when it comes to universal health coverage, the mantra used by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is not to leave anyone behind in any health calamity, including pandemics, AMR and so on," he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today

He was responding to a supplementary question from Suhaizan Kaiat (rpt Suhaizan Kaiat) (PH-Pulai) who wanted to know how the national health fund could help the country in facing the AMR threat.

Dzulkefly said the ministry is aware of the current macroeconomic, administrative and political constraints that will affect the country’s health transformation and is fine-tuning the direction of the reform of the Health Financing System.

"The new direction will take into account the challenges and realities facing the country and will optimise the best practices and experiences of global health," he said in response to an original question from Suhaizan about the ministry’s plan to establish a national health fund.

-- BERNAMA