MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said that digitising the public healthcare system involves organising and converting a large amount of data into a digital format so it can be shared across all public healthcare institutions.

“We would like the process to be expedited, but at the same time, it is important to ensure the effectiveness of the system’s implementation,” he told FMT.

He said while some public healthcare institutions are already using the EMR platform, it needs to be integrated into the overall public healthcare system.

Kalwinder suggested that the government review the provision of a specific budget dedicated to supporting the digitalisation of public healthcare.

On Monday, Gerakan president Dominic Lau claimed that public healthcare facilities in the country are facing a “massive” crisis due to the resignation of over 6,000 doctors over the past five years.

Apart from the pressure caused by excessive workloads, Lau said the lack of basic facilities, including efficient computer systems, have contributed to the resignations.

Lau said he did not understand why the government has not developed a computerised system that can record patient information, adding that doctors were unable to even access simple blood test reports through a centralised digital system.