1.3 Million M'sians Have Benefited From Healthcare Initiatives The Past Year. Here's How

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During the announcement of Budget 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that was the biggest increase of allocation among ministries.

The allocation was aimed at enhancing the national health system, which included upgrading healthcare infrastructure as well as providing ongoing healthcare support to the rakyat, especially the B40 group.

PeKa B40, or Skim Peduli Kesihatan untuk Kumpulan B40, is a government initiative that aims to cover the health needs of low-income groups by focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCD).

Those eligible for PeKa B40 get to enjoy these benefits:
- Health screenings at private or public clinics
- Medical device assistance worth up to RM20,000
- Incentive to complete cancer treatment worth RM1,000
- Transportation fare incentive worth up to RM1,000

The government reports that 1.3 million Malaysians have been screened, but this number represents just 21.4% of those eligible. With over 5,088 PeKa clinics nationwide, more Malaysians are encouraged to make use of the healthcare services available to them.

The MADANI Medical Scheme, on the other hand, is a pilot initiative created to cover the health needs of the B40 group for treatment of mild illnesses like fever and cold, diarrhoea and vomiting, sprained muscles, headaches, and minor trauma, among others.

Thanks to this initiative, approximately 700,000 households can get the necessary treatment for minor illnesses for free, reducing the burden of healthcare costs and improving the wellbeing of low-income groups.

A total of RM150 million was allocated for 400 clinics still having wooden structures and outdated wiring.

At the time of writing, a total of 81 clinics have been refurbished, utilising a total of RM5.4 million, with other clinic upgrades still under way.

Other development project allocations included RM874.9 million for hospital facilities, RM590.1 million for new hospitals, and RM307 million for renovations, upgrades, and improvements.