The Pakatan Harapan Manifesto made a pledge to increase allocations and incentives to encourage the private companies and welfare bodies in the treatment of rare diseases, especially among the needy and families with children with special needs.
What needs to urgently improve is the availability, affordability and accessibility of new and improved treatments for diseases such as cancer and rare diseases.
A national health insurance scheme could be a game changer to catapult the entirety of Malaysian healthcare into the 21st century, rather than piecemeal, as it is today.
With charges between RM1 and RM5 for outpatient and specialist care respectively, Malaysians are able to access high quality treatment and care at government clinics and hospitals.