He said he had discussed the proposal with the ministry’s planning division and for it to be tabled in Parliament.
“I propose, as an implementation strategy, the establishment of a Health Reform Commission that shall be accountable to Parliament and this Health Reform Commission be the implementing body for all changes and reforms agreed to in the White Paper.
“This is to ensure that when a new minister takes over, there will be no change because the ministry and the minister focus on policy and policy implementation,” he said when delivering his 2022 New Year message in Putrajaya on Thursday.
Khairy said the country’s health system must be “future-proof” by ensuring that all public health needs were met through appropriate and adequate allocation to the health ministry.
Adequate allocation for the ministry, through the national budget, is crucial in ensuring the country is prepared to face any unforeseen situations, he added.
He said reforms in the country’s health system should not only focus on the aspect of adequate allocation but should also involve healthcare financing on how the health burden could be shared with the people.
“Are we going to still adopt a subsidy system for all, regardless of income, or will we move to a system where those who can afford it can pay more than what they are paying now?”
He expressed hope of seeing the first 5G public hospital in Malaysia, which would be an anchor to hospitals in rural areas.
“I want our hospitals and facilities to be more environmentally friendly using green tech.”
Touching on the local medical industry, Khairy said the health ministry should also be involved in the development of the industry in a comprehensive manner, involving pharmaceuticals, devices and medical tourism.
“In terms of study and research. I want the National Institute of Health to be an international centre of excellence, where the outcomes of studies produced are not only applied in Malaysia but are also a reference for other countries.
“I also want to focus on traditional and complementary medicine. This is something that is close to the hearts of our society, but it needs to be more mainstreamed internationally,” he said.
Khairy said he wanted to further strengthen Malaysia’s role at the international level, especially taking lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and the importance of international networking, to learn new methods to manage pandemics and public health.
“We want to second more of our officers to international organisations,” he added.