Malaysia’s HSOP boosts healthcare access – Health Minister
Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad reported that as of November 30, a total of 24,734 patients have been referred to private hospitals since the implementation of the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP) in July. These referrals include 1,027 nephrology patients, 7,899 cardiology patients, 344 cardiothoracic patients, and 15,464 radiology cases from 40 Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals to 91 private hospitals nationwide.
Dr. Dzulkefly highlighted that RM144 million has been allocated for this initiative since July 18, 2024. Preliminary findings show that HSOP has significantly reduced patient waiting times. For example, the waiting time for Arterio-Venous Fistula (AVF) surgery decreased from 16 weeks to just four weeks. Similarly, waiting times for MRI and ultrasound procedures reduced from 20 weeks to 16 weeks, while CT scans dropped from 14 weeks to 12 weeks.
The minister expressed optimism that increased public-private collaboration will provide more citizens with faster and more effective healthcare services. He said that HSOP aims to transform health service delivery through a bundled payment system that covers procedures, consultations, medications, follow-up treatments, and patient accommodation.
Dr. Dzulkefly also noted that the HSOP programme allows the Ministry of Health to influence the pricing of private healthcare services, aligning them with the principles of value-based healthcare.
Source: Bernama
Category: MJN enews
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