KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- The success of reducing wait times at public health clinics from three hours to just 30 minutes should be replicated at government hospitals to extend improvements in the quality of public healthcare services.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) president Datuk Dr N. Marimuthu said this positive development would have a major impact on patient experience at health clinics and should therefore be expanded to government hospitals so that more people could benefit from the initiative.
“FOMCA welcomes the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) initiative, but we would like to remind (them) that government hospitals face similar challenges, especially in major urban and rural areas.
“The need to reduce wait times at hospitals is equally critical so that patients do not have to wait too long for treatment. Therefore, we hope that this initiative will be sustained and not just be a short-lived effort,” he told Bernama today.
He also stressed that the government should allocate sufficient resources, including increasing the number of staff and improving facilities, to ensure that this initiative can be further enhanced and not limited to clinics alone.
Marimuthu also proposed that the healthcare sector be prioritised in the next budget by increasing allocations to hire more staff and improve healthcare infrastructure, particularly to address the issue of overcrowding in government hospitals and clinics.
“Additional staff and new facilities are needed to meet the growing demand, especially with the country's increasing population. This would not only reduce wait times but also ensure that every patient receives quality treatment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Public Health Specialist Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said while the digital system now widely used in many health clinics helps shorten wait times, patients must still adhere to their appointment time and make necessary preparations before and during their visit.
He pointed out that previously, the lack of an efficient appointment system forced some patients to endure long waiting periods to see a doctor.
“This digital system streamlines appointment scheduling and reduces work process time from registration to patient queue management and medication collection. Therefore, patients must comply with the scheduled appointment times,” he said.
Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) education officer N.V. Subbarow expressed full support for the government’s efforts to improve the national healthcare sector, seeing it as a positive step that should be continued for the well-being of the people.
“CAP welcomes this initiative and we hope that similar measures can be implemented not only in government clinics but also in hospitals, especially in areas with high patient volume. Attention should also be given to the medication collection process, which has been a common complaint due to the long waiting time in some hospitals,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
