Promise 44: Improve the quality of education and healthcare

• Develop and improve healthcare services in rural areas by increasing the number of experts, hospitals and 1Malaysia clinics.
• Increase the number of healthcare assistance services such as haemodialysis centres, financial assistance for treatments and health services for pensioners.
• Upgrade and build new hospitals and government clinics by increasing the number of team members in the Pasukan Medik Bergerak.
• Simplify health systems online, including registration processes, setting appointment dates, referral and treatment.
• Improve the efficiency of emergency and ambulance services.
• Enhance expertise and technology capabilities in infectious disease control units.

• Ensure greater service coverage through collaboration between public health centres and private clinics.
• Upgrade all public hospitals to increase capacity to treat more patients.
• Ensure drug and technology procurement systems are more competitive so that high quality drugs and technology can be obtained with the lowest possible price.

• Strengthen the capacity of the Family Health Development Section of the Ministry of Health to expand the concept of Free Family Doctor Team for patients with chronic illnesses.

• Selected hospitals will be equipped with the latest technology to treat cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
• Increase allocations and incentives to encourage the private companies and welfare bodies in the treatment of rare diseases, especially amongst the needy and families with children with special needs.
• Focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including prevention, early detection of related illnesses and providing treatment for cancer patients via strategies and collaborations with a variety of sectors and layers of society, including city planning, public transportation, food industry legislation, etc.
• Provide incentives to build palliative care centres across the country to address issues surrounding the treatment of terminal patients.

• Organise new and effective programs and initiatives that addresses mental health issues.

• Channel more government resources to mental health care in public hospitals, in particular on human resources and insurance protection.

• Empower the Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI) and Komuniti Sihat Perkasa Negara (KOSPEN) initiatives across the country.

• Introduce Skim Peduli Sihat across the country (similar to Selangor) by allocating RM500 a year to B40 families to access primary care in private clinics.

• Ensure allocation of 4% of GDP to the Ministry of Health within the first term.

• Grant Sabah and Sarawak state governments decision rights to healthcare related issues.
• Skim Insuran Peduli Sihat will be introduced and enforced in Sabah and Sarawak with priority to rural citizens.
• Prioritise training of healthcare professionals from Sabah and Sarawak to serve as permanent officers in Sabah and Sarawak (to deal with brain drain).
• Build more healthcare centres in Sabah and Sarawak.

• Design awareness programs and special training to address mental health problems and long-term depression amongst women.
• Introduce women’s health education programs such as healthy lifestyle awareness activities and other relevant activities.
• Increase reproductive awareness programmes amongst women across all ages so that they are able to protect themselves and their families from dangerous risks.
• Implement awareness campaigns to encourage early detection and prevention of cervical and breast cancer.
• Conduct mammogram and pap smear programmes in government hospitals.

• Prepare compulsory pneumococcal vaccination for all children below 2 years old.

• Prepare unconditional routine health examinations in government clinics for young people age 35 and 40.

• Allocate RM500 healthcare subsidies for young people with household income below RM3, 000 per month.
• Order the Ministry of Health to prepare a detailed plan to solve the problems surrounding young doctors (houseman) who are forced to wait for too long for a placement.
• Scrutinise opportunities for medical education to ensure the number of medical students, scholarships and loans are in line with the capacity and needs for doctors in this country. Opportunities to study overseas will only be provided to universities that conform to appropriate standards.

• Streamline door-to-door health and dental services to senior citizens and displaced patients.
• Increase the number of healthcare assistance services such as health services for pensioners.

• Increase allocations for public hospitals to ensure healthcare of senior citizens.

• Improve standards of health services across the country, especially in plantation areas which are mostly populated by Indians. Health services will remain free to ensure access to health services when required.