Deputy PM Claims Hospitals Are Overcrowded Due To Unhealthy Lifestyles Led By M'sians
He states that it also may be due to the upgrade in quality of public healthcare facilities and services.
By Deborah Chan — 02 Mar 2023, 11:04 AM
Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof told the Dewan Rakyat that overcrowding in hospitals is due to unhealthy lifestyles practised by Malaysians
Addressing the lower house on 28 February, Fadillah said that the congestion in the government hospitals paints a picture that Malaysians are not prioritising a healthy lifestyle, reported Malaysiakini.
"Maybe it (the overcrowded hospitals) paints a picture of Malaysians not practising healthy lifestyles, and that's why more people are forced to visit the doctors for fevers (or when they're) sick," said Fadillah.
He added that the Ministry of Health (MOH) should play its part in organising health programmes alongside doctors and the support from all members of parliament (MPs), to help increase the public's awareness of the importance of healthy living.
"This way, we (the public) won't have to go to the hospital so often and our hospitals won't be overwhelmed with the large number of health cases that not only causes a loss in our country from a financial aspect, but also upon the patients themselves. That should be where our focus lies."
The Petra Jaya MP added that the overcrowding issue may also be due to the improvement of public healthcare system, which leads to a higher confidence from the rakyat
In a clip posted by BFM News, the Deputy Prime Minister, while elaborating on the subject, said that the public is beginning to trust the more affordable Malaysian healthcare system over the services offered at private hospitals.
He suggested that patients who arrive during odd hours between 6pm to midnight with cases that aren't serious should be sent to clinics instead.
In the comment section of the clip, many Malaysians expressed their view points on the statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister
Some agreed with the statement with one commenting, "I agree. A healthy lifestyle will lessen hospital visits."
However, many felt that the statement made by the MP was tone-deaf and lacked empathy towards the citizens of Malaysia.
"Wow, gaslighting the citizens. What are the efforts that the government and the related parties have done to make healthy lifestyles easier and cheaper? Even though there may be some truth (in the statement), don't blame one side only," opined a user.
"Rich people can (obviously) say that they lead healthy lives. We have to face low salaries, bosses that would want us to work 24/7, expensive meals, dangerous traffic conditions, (and) a lack of parks. This man is talking nonsense," commented another.
