NHFS is a community based scheme and it’s not a privatized project or an insurance health scheme. The basic principle is that government will continue to subsidize healthcare but with the excess fund from those who can afford to pay for their healthcare used for other stuff. With the excess fund, it can be used to improve the environment, facilities, training and the service scheme of the health providers.
Unfortunately, when the overseas consultant who was appointed because the “EPU insisted on foreign consultants”, their report showed their total ignorance of the local healthcare system in the country and hence, the contract was terminated prematurely. Since then, I have no idea of the progress of the NHFS after I left the Ministry.
For the NHFS to be implemented, strong commitment and will is needed. First, it should not be profit oriented, the poor, the handicapped and the unemployed should remain the responsibility of the government. The pertinent question is where is the cut off point for people who can afford to pay. Second, to establish a complete data of the income of working Malaysians since there are a lot of people in this country who don't pay income tax although they are earning income that is taxable; and. Third, a system of rebates for people who contribute but never use the healthcare system of the government and last but not least, to establish an authority to supervise the scheme to prevent abuse.
Unfortunately, when the overseas consultant who was appointed because the “EPU insisted on foreign consultants”, their report showed their total ignorance of the local healthcare system in the country and hence, the contract was terminated prematurely. Since then, I have no idea of the progress of the NHFS after I left the Ministry.
For the NHFS to be implemented, strong commitment and will is needed. First, it should not be profit oriented, the poor, the handicapped and the unemployed should remain the responsibility of the government. The pertinent question is where is the cut off point for people who can afford to pay. Second, to establish a complete data of the income of working Malaysians since there are a lot of people in this country who don't pay income tax although they are earning income that is taxable; and. Third, a system of rebates for people who contribute but never use the healthcare system of the government and last but not least, to establish an authority to supervise the scheme to prevent abuse.
7 comments:
Dr, NHFS has been discussed and studied for years. You're right, what it really needs is real commitment from the very top and strong leadership to push through the various changes. The fact is, there doesn't seem to be anyone in MOH who has the passion and feel compel enough to champion the changes required to have such scheme. Probably we should not aim to implement it in a big bang manner, but to focus on priority areas with measurable results. Among those are to understand and manage the cost of providing the services and enabling a more effective resource utilisation within MOH and with outside providers including private. The key to these is having sufficient amount and level of data to make the right analysis and decision. Sadly, healthcare data even within MOH is so fragmented. The focus has always been on 'technology' or system when it should be on the availability and quality of data. Money is wasted on projects that seek to address the issues in disparate and uncoordinated manner, be it the THIS, Casemix, Telehealth etc. What the country need is someone with strong leadership and understanding of the value of data who can push through the various initiatives in a more strategic manner towards the full implementation of NHFS.
New maths developped by M$A (aka maihua) is...1+1=-1!
So we should give Dr Wee another PhD, a PhD in math & education!
Sybas and taniah kepada Dr Wee and M$A.
What the hell is so-so-hard for M$A to tell their "master" that chinese want to have a NEW school in PJ?
The logic M$A used is...kat rumah ader dua orang anak, tapi makanan tak cukup....tapi tidak pergi cari duit lebih untuk dua orang anak...tetapi TUNGGU seorang anak MATI beruk dulu supaya makanan adalah CUKUP!
Syabas Dr Wee! You are just the same as any other M$A jokers that dare not say a thing infront your master!
PhD? PhD my foot lar!!!!
So Chua, what do you feel when 95% (or more) or post in your blog are actually disagree and dislike your party (M$A aka maihua) very much?
You know why? Because people are getting smart but your party still lead by idiots, idiots that has no ball to say the truth infront of their master! (Read: your M$A's master, never ever a master for rakayat!)
Nowadays, M$A is same meaning as "joker" and "losser" and "corrupt" and "no ball" and any other negetive name that you can think of.
So why still wanna insists you all represent chinese? PROOF IT, else, change your name before more and more insult come to you!
what Chor has said in press about the police at bandar mohkota cheras incident is just pure arrogance.
Despite with proof of video and journalist accounts etc. He continues to propagate lies and treating us like idiots.
Chor should just resign for bring shame to communities. That is why we can’t compromise IPCMC bcos people like him from the toothless MCA.
Hi,Dr Chua. Is nice to see you blogging. After so long I didn't hear from you and now you appear again. A man of principle who have the guts to admit the wrongs.Bravo!Regarding MCA it's not a party the it once use to be,caring,fair,hardworking etc.Now it's only for power crazy leaders who are selfish and only look after their own ass.To be honest it would be better if it's you,a man with guts to lead MCA.
Dr., Can we really have a meaningful debate about NHFS, when full reports of foreign consultants from the mid-1980s have not been made public?
Should you not prove to us that the foreign consultants are so ignorant, possibly incompetent, about health care in Malaysia?
Information may never be accurate, and public policy may have to be executed in good faith based on less than perfect data.
What do you think the per capita income should be before meaningful contributary NHFS can be implemented? Remember we have a very high Gini Index which makes the per capita figure less useful!
IF the government can make such bungling errors as to engage a foreign consultant who is "totally ignorant of local healthcare system in country," then can you imagine what a new NHFS will look like, if based on the government's own initiatives alone?
There are plenty of NGOs representing consumers and healthcare end-users, as well as NGOs which are "watchdogs" over public spending, who would be glad to give their input on NHFS, to make it viable as well as more efficient and probably less likely to be subject to corruption and abuse.
However, the government flatly refuses to engage them in any consultative discussions, instead planning everything under wraps, only to unleash it 'fait accompli' upon the rakyat later.
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