In a statement issued today, the Kulai MP pointed out that the Budget 2017 allocation of RM30 million for free mammogram screening and HPV vaccination was a fraction of total budget allocations, yet it had been yanked all the same.

Pointing out that the free screening was halted in August 2016, she also questioned where the revenue from the goods and services tax had gone, since the government now lacked funds to help women in the early detection of breast cancer.

“If the Barisan Nasional government is unable to come up with this amount (RM30 million), I would like to know where the billions from the collection of the GST in 2016 has gone?”

She said breast cancer was the number 1 killer among Malaysian women with cancer and that 1 in 19 Malaysian women developed breast cancer at some point in their life.

“According to research, patients whose breast cancer was detected early received a better prognosis. And the most effective way to detect breast cancer early is for women to have a mammogram screening every two years and every six months for the high-risk category,” she said.

Teo also said the Health Ministry’s move to charge breast cancer patients in government hospitals 20% of the actual cost of treatment would likely result in many patients forgoing it altogether.

She said treatment for breast cancer was typically in the region of RM395,000 and that 20% would still mean patients had to fork out RM80,000.

“A report by the George Institute for Global Health reveals 39% of Malaysians are unable to afford the expensive cost of treatment for cancer, with 19% of all patients discontinuing treatment altogether,” she said.

She commended the move to offer free mammogram screenings in 2007 but condemned the decision to yank the allocation as it could have saved the nation millions more in terms of subsidies for medical treatment after women only detected the disease at a more advanced stage.