Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said there were key issues “lacking in substance or missing altogether from the national strategic plan,” which could signal a lack of commitment on the government’s part to addressing them.

“Considering what the country and people went through over the past 18 months, sacrifices made by thousands of frontline health and non-health essential workers, the many strengths and gaps identified, and the hard-won lessons from the Covid-19 response, the health component of the 12th Malaysia Plan feels a bit underwhelming.”

“We often overlook that the healthcare sector is and has been a leader and driver of economic progress in Malaysia.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the past several years saw an increase of 11% annually for this sector, which was frequently double the country’s GDP growth rate. There is so much untapped potential. The 12MP does not reflect that.”

He pointed out that in the last 20 or so years there have been at least half a dozen studies performed to identify areas in need of reform and proposed solutions, few of which have been implemented and are largely absent from the 12MP.

Such areas in need of improvement but left unaddressed in the plan include the management of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cancer, healthcare financing, contract doctors and a lack of public sector specialists.

“Unless the government reviews what it proposes in the health section of the 12MP, this could be a lost opportunity to rebuild, reform and transform our healthcare system into a service that is fit for purpose and future-proofed to meet the challenges of a population facing rising health burdens due to an ongoing crisis of non-communicable diseases, an ageing population, and demands for better quality healthcare.”