Here Are 10 Healthcare Initiatives In Malaysia You May Not Have Even Heard Of
Published for Belanjawan 2023
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Did you know that there are lots of free healthcare benefits in Malaysia that most of us aren’t aware of?
A
Yes, I’ve heard about them!
B
Wait, really?
That’s right! Healthcare was one of the top priorities when the government came up with #Belanjawan2023.
Do you recall the amount of budget allocated towards the Ministry of Health (MOH)?
RM363 million
RM10 billion
RM36.3 billion
Here’s a look at the initiatives that you can benefit from:
OVERALL HEALTH
Taxation
The government has increased the tax relief limit on medical treatment expenditures from RM8,000 to RM10,000 for 2023. The scope of relief will also cover rehabilitation treatment costs for children with learning disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome, and Specific Learning Disabilities, with a limit of RM4,000.
Mental health
An allocation of RM34.5 million will go towards the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH), which is an initiative to help improve the mental wellbeing of Malaysians under the MyMYNDA programme. Mental health wellness improvement programmes will also be made available through MyMYNDA.
Madani Medical Scheme
This government’s pilot initiative will aid Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients, especially those in need of acute primary healthcare services or outpatient treatments from general practitioners.
Recipients can get treatments at registered private general practitioners (GPs) in 10 districts nationwide.
The districts are Gombak, Hulu Langat, Klang, and Petaling in Selangor; Kuala Lumpur; Kinta in Perak; Timur Laut in Penang; Johor Bahru in Johor; Kota Kinabalu in Sabah; and Kuching in Sarawak.
Recipients can get treatments at registered private general practitioners (GPs) in 10 districts nationwide.
Click the pins to see the locations.
The scheme ends on 31 December 2023.
No pre-registration is required.
This is a government initiative that aims to sustain the healthcare needs of STR recipients aged 40 and above by focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It received an allocation of RM80 million this year, enhanced by including diabetes screenings.
The scheme offers:
Health screening includes:
Medical history taking, noting of individual and family ailments, including risk factors
Mental health screening
Physical examination
Clinical breast examination for female recipients
Clinical prostate examination for male recipients who are at risk
Blood and urine tests
Health aid covers up to RM20,000 for medical equipment, which includes:
Stents for the heart
Artificial joint equipment
Hearing aid devices
Heart pacemakers
Prostheses and implants for the spine
Prostheses and orthoses for the limb bones
Intraocular lenses
Breathing therapy equipment and oxygen concentrator
Nutritional support assistance
Wheelchairs
RM1,000 is paid to cancer patients who complete their treatment at public hospitals, divided into two parts:
RM300 will be paid once the beneficiary has started his/her cancer treatment
RM700 will be paid after cancer treatment has been completed
This incentive aims to lighten the burden of patients having to pay for transportation at public hospitals:
Only recipients of health aid or cancer treatment incentive may utilise this benefit
Up to RM500 incentive is provided for those in West Malaysia, while up to RM1,000 incentive is provided for those in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan
This social scheme offers a cash payment of RM8,000 to those diagnosed with one of these 45 critical illnesses.
Those eligible for the financial aid are those under the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH), Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR), and Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) programmes.
To help promote the early detection of breast cancer, women aged 35 to 70 years old with less than RM10,000 of household income can benefit from a free mammogram screening.
Meanwhile, those with more than RM10,000 of household income will be given a RM50 subsidy for the screening.
These benefits can be utilised at mammogram centres registered with LPPKN.
Over 1,500 healthcare workers will benefit from an allocation of RM3 billion for new permanent and contract appointments.
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Medical Officers
Mobile Health Clinic
There is also an allocation of RM10 million for mobile health clinics dedicated to cancer screening, as well as RM10.6 million for dental mobile health clinics.
Procurement and Equipment
The government has also allocated an amount for the procurement procedures for public infrastructure:
An allocation of RM10 million for the procurement of generators to 10 hospitals.
An allocation of RM100 million for the replacement of obsolete medical equipment.
An allocation of RM160 million for the procurement and maintenance of medical equipment in all government clinics under the Medical Equipment Enhancement Tenure (MEET)
Visit this website to find out more about #Belanjawan2023 healthcare programmes that you can make the most of!
