Rakan MOH: Transforming Malaysia’s Public Healthcare System

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The Rakan MOH (Ministry of Health) initiative aims to enhance service delivery, ensure equitable healthcare and address the financial sustainability of Malaysia’s public healthcare system.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that Rakan MOH will prioritise sustainability and accessibility for all Malaysians.

“The first step in my reform agenda is transforming health financing. This initiative is designed to make the system more sustainable and innovative while delivering improved health outcomes, patient care and better public health management,” he said during Bernama TV’s ‘The Nation’ programme today.

Dzulkefly emphasised the need for a tax-based health financing system to integrate private health facilities within public hospitals, which could include a full-paying patient wing to generate additional income.

“Revenue generated from this initiative will enhance compensation for healthcare professionals, including specialists and nurses, and promote a flexible framework to improve job satisfaction and retain talent within the public healthcare system,” he added.

Rakan MOH would offer “MADANI premium economy” services for those willing to pay for upgraded care while ensuring that the B40 group continued to access affordable healthcare, he added. 

“This initiative will focus on developing collaborations with private investors and GLCs (government-linked companies) to expand and improve healthcare infrastructure while ensuring affordability remains a top priority for the lower-income population,” he said.

He stressed that the initiative was not a step toward privatisation but rather a strategic collaboration aimed at elevating the standards of public healthcare.

“The key is to remain inclusive. We want to ensure that every Malaysian, regardless of their economic status, has access to quality healthcare services. At the same time, we are exploring new financial models to ensure the system’s sustainability,” he said.

It was previously reported that Dzulkefly had proposed expanding “private wings” in government hospitals to raise revenue for the country’s underfunded public health care system.

He mentioned that establishing full-paying patient (FPP) services within Ministry of Health hospitals would help boost revenue by offering private services through existing infrastructure.

Currently, FPP services are available in 10 MOH hospitals, providing patients access to specialist doctors and first-class wards at competitive rates, but these services are constrained by limited resources, expertise, and facilities.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when tabling Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday said the Rakan MOH initiative would be introduced, involving the collaboration of GLIC (government-linked investment companies) to provide paid health service options at affordable rates to patients, as an effort to ensure a more resilient, sustainable and self-sufficient public health service system.

-- BERNAMA