KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's comeback as Health Minister would fortify the government's strong cooperation and partnership with private hospitals, forged since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said he hoped Dr Dzulkefly would take proactive measures to ensure that the public-private partnership programme would progress, so private hospitals could assist with patients on the long waiting list for treatments.
"Private hospitals are eager to investigate the cloud-based clinic management systems on public clinics, which will facilitate referral for private hospitals to take over some of the treatments at an agreed-upon cost," he said in a statement today.
Dr Kuljit, in congratulating Dr Dzulkefly, expressed hope that the new leadership would continue the work of reforming Malaysian healthcare, including through the Healthcare White Paper.
Meanwhile, he also thanked former health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa for her efforts to have private hospitals hire foreign nurses to address the severe shortage of locally-trained nurses.
He added that Dr Zaliha was also key in initiating medical service outsourcing, which would cut waiting times and congestion at public hospitals, while promoting the development of local pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Dr Kuljit also highlighted that she had also held engagements with stakeholders on medicine price transparency, an effort that the APHM highly appreciated.
He said he hoped Dr Zaliha would be able to take the Federal Territories portfolio to greater heights, particularly in collaboration with the Health Ministry in managing some of the health concerns surrounding the urban poor.
"Private hospitals and general practitioners are among the most available in the federal territory, particularly in Kuala Lumpur.
"The city's residents will benefit from the synergy in this area," added Dr Kuljit.
