Ministry To Help Generate Income From Health Industry
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will establish a Healthcare Development Industry Unit to develop and promote the lucrative healthcare industry which is likely to hit RM8 billion in the next five years.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Monday the cabinet had approved the ministry's proposal to set up the unit which would be in place within the next three months.
"The unit will be focused to help agencies in the health sector to promote, sell and benchmark Malaysian healthcare products to compete in the international market," he told reporters after opening the 26th Asian Medical Students' Conference here.
"The time has come for the ministry to play an active role to generate income from the health sector which can benefit the economy rather than just giving medical services to the public," he said.
He said the healthcare industry, ranging from pharmaceutical products, health tourism, medical equipment to herbal medicine, was worth billions of ringgit and yet remained unexploited.
"The health industry has a big potential but our problem is that we are not focused, we always take the easy way out," he added.
For instance, Dr Chua said, last year Malaysia exported medical equipment, including products like condoms, gloves and syringes, worth RM4.6 billion and drugs worth RM468 million.
"The export of Chinese drugs and traditional herbs like Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah, which is growing without any assistance, is worth RM4 billion a year.
"Health tourism is another revenue generator but remains unexplored compared to Singapore and Thailand," he added.
He said health tourism was a healthy business and more foreigners were arriving in Malaysia for medical treatment.
In 1998, 39,140 foreign patients sought treatment in local private hospitals but the figure rose to 174,189 last year. In 1985 there were only 133 hospitals but the number has increased to 218 now.
"Income (from foreign patients) was RM105 million in the private sector but this is on the low side. This is under-reporting, private hospitals are not revealing actual figures for fear of competition" he added.
He also said that the Medical Devices Act 2006 was being enacted in line with the government’s move to further expand and protect the growing sector,
Some 500 medical students from 14 countries are attending the week-long conference themed "Technology in Medicine" in Kuala Lumpur.
-- BERNAMA
It is good news to the health providers if the gomen can help to encourage the country to develop industries to cater for the health sector. Earlier there was talk of producing our own vaccines. This would help to cut cost and encourage more to get vaccinated. Recently it was pointed out that we have a high number of our population without antibodies to Hepatitis A; the patent rights for this vaccine should be running out soon, maybe we can produce it then. Already we have products like condoms, gloves and syringes which we are exporting. In time we may want to make surgical instruments and other stuff. There are also locally produced hospital equipments like ward beds, delivery beds, trolleys and wheelchairs. Surely we are capable of more items.
1 comment:
Dr Chua is right. Health Tourism is a big sector that can generate good income for the country. However, it will be a problem to get foreigners to come for treatment in most govt hosp unless something is done of the staff and skill shortage. Employing contract doctors is not going to solve the problem. On the other hand retaining doctors in Govt sctor will be a problem unless the Govt looks into the problem. The doctors should be allowed to do limited private practice a, certain number of hours a week at any chosen place of their own. And this can easily be monitored by registering the place of practice in the APC. This way abuse can be controlled. This is nothing new it is been done all over the world. Besides, this allows most doctors to earn an extra income and at the same time remain in Govt service thus increasing the skill level in the Govt that can be passed down to the juniors and thus the health sector will grow in skill everywhere. What is happening now is, most of the doctors resign and only a few take time to upgrade skills in the private sector. This has resulted in both the Govt and private sector not developing in skills over the years. While pockets of excellant skills exist here and there that is not enough for health tourism and even for Malaysian citizens. Of course many in the private sector will not be happy that the Govt doctors will be allowed to do part time private practice as their cake will have to be shared now. Part time private practice will certainly cut waiting time in hospitals, allow skills to remain in the govt sector and junior doctors to be trained better. We should look at the bigger picture and take the opportunity to catch up with health tourism before it passes us.
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