KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry has been allocated RM36.1 billion under Budget 2023, a bump from RM32.4 billion this year, said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
The budget for the ministry constitutes nearly 10% of the total RM372.3 billion allocated for next year.
This includes RM4.9 billion for medicines, vaccines, and consumables while another RM420 million is to repair hospitals and dilapidated clinics.
The government has also allocated RM1.8 billion for medical equipment procurement as well as the construction of new hospital facilities, including five new clinics.
Social protection scheme MySalam has also received RM734 million in 2023 allocation, which will help some 1.5 million B40 individuals.
The government also allotted RM80 million for the PeKa B40 health protection scheme for the B40 group.
Similarly, another RM80 million is also allocated for the Social Security Organisation’s health screening scheme that will benefit 2.3 million employees.
Previously, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said his ministry submitted an application for six new initiatives totalling RM3.4 billion to the Finance Ministry to be included in the 2023 budget.
This included the strengthening of the healthcare and wellness programme, with an estimated budget of RM738 million, improvement and repair of the ministry’s health facilities (RM791.5 million), and improving the effectiveness of healthcare treatment (RM850 million).
Also included were the replacement of critical and obsolete medical assets (RM400 million), digitalisation of healthcare services (RM460 million), and appreciation incentives for medical personnel (RM183 million).
He had said the application to improve and repair healthcare facilities was made because there are 2,732 government clinics in neglected condition, but still operating to provide healthcare services to the public. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022
