Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) CEO Paul Selvaraj said both public and private healthcare must be made affordable to all.

He said the government must invest more in the public healthcare sector to ensure that everyone can afford the medicines they need.

“In the case of private healthcare, the prices need to be regulated as they are expensive.

“The prices cannot be left entirely to the market to determine as we have to look at the welfare component,” he told reporters today at Ilham Tower before making his presentation to the Council of Eminent Persons.

Meanwhile, research director of the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) Martin Khor urged the government to focus on the treatment for cancer, heart and hepatitis diseases which were currently very expensive.

“We have suggestions, and we can show how to reduce the prices of certain medicines,” he said.

Khor commended the health ministry for bringing down the price of hepatitis medicine from RM300,000 to RM1,000.

“It’s a price reduction of 99%. There are 500,000 Malaysians suffering from hepatitis. If you make this medicine accessible to them, about 99% can be cured. If it is priced at RM300,000, nobody can afford it,” he said.

While pointing out that public hospitals generally provide good services, have good specialists and the cost is bearable, he said the prices in private hospitals are high.

He said efforts must be made to reduce the cost of medicines, especially for cancer treatment.

“Many of those who have cancer cannot afford to get treatment and buy the medicines because of the high prices,” he said.