PENANG has undertaken a study of the elderly population in the Maccallum area to ascertain what the old folks need in terms of aged care and the type of afflictions that they are experiencing now.
The study, which was conceived recently, is part of the state's efforts to address the fact that Penang has fallen into an ageing society segment, said state executive councillor in charge of public healthcare, Daniel Gooi Zi Sen.
An ageing society under the World Health Organisation is defined when a population has seven to 10 per cent of its people aged 65 and older.
Penang is ageing rapidly, and it is projected to have the highest proportion of senior citizens in the country by 2040.
For now, the healthcare screening of the old is generally manageable, but the state needs to plan for the future, said Gooi.
He said this after opening the communication and cognitive health across the lifespan, which was organised by Allied Health at the Loh Guan Lye Hospital here.
The hospital is marking its 50th anniversary this year.
Gooi said that the Maccalum study is a pilot project with plans to expand, so the state has a detailed understanding of how to handle geriatric care.
The ageing status forces Penang to relook at its healthcare services, especially including having one specialise geriatric hospital in the state to cope with growing admissions and healthcare needs, he said.
Gooi also said that Penang, through the Health Ministry, had allocated RM10 million last year to allow some public hospital patients to receive treatment at private hospitals, which may have better equipment to treat various ailments.
This cross-subsidy effort is designed to alleviate the burden on the public healthcare system, said Gooi. - May 24, 2026.
