Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib said increasing funding to achieve such a target would be impossible without reforms.
“Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) version mentions healthcare financing reform but there is no accompanying commitment which would allow exploration of earmarking certain revenues, such as from sin taxes, the introduction of social health insurance, and other initiatives,” he said in a statement.
“(Meanwhile), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) are totally silent on this.”
Azrul was commenting on the centre’s findings from comparing all three coalitions’ manifestos.
While all the coalitions’ pledges show an understanding, appreciation and commitment to address public healthcare, he said only PH and PN see the urgency to do so whereas BN appears to want health issues to be in the “rearview mirror”.
However, Azrul pointed out that there were also other issues that had not been addressed, such as the decreasing number of healthcare workers, ageing infrastructure and equipment, healthcare for the disabled and more.
In terms of mental health, he said PH and PN had both mentioned it but were light on specifics in their manifestos.
“Mental health services need more investment to train and increase the number of healthcare professionals and support personnel in this field, not new buildings.”
Azrul also welcomed the pledges on aged care in all three manifestos, noting that it is one area where Malaysia’s social protection system is ill-prepared.
“(However), PH’s extensive pledges on aged care and the care economy overall demonstrate an understanding of the urgency and gravity of the problem.”
Azrul went on to say that BN’s approach to health in its manifesto was “disastrous” on face value as it didn’t include many of the proposed necessary reforms championed by health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
The crucial issues identified through the Health White Paper process, such as dealing with the ongoing non-communicable disease crisis, are missing, he said.
BN’s manifesto, Azrul added, does not even meet the standards of its 2018 version.