KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has called for Budget 2027 to focus more on disease prevention, health education and building a stronger culture of health, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and lifestyle-related risk factors at the centre of healthcare reform.
APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said a significant proportion of NCDs, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity, were strongly influenced by lifestyle, diet and environmental factors that could be prevented, delayed or better managed.
“An effective way to do this is ensuring that unhealthy choices are no longer an easy or affordable option to Malaysians,” he said in a statement.
Dr Kuljit said proposals by independent public policy research and advocacy organisation Galen Centre, including the removal of sugar subsidies and stronger fiscal measures to discourage unhealthy consumption, warranted serious consideration by policymakers.
He added that the Government should, at the same time, consider redirecting resources towards making healthier choices more accessible and affordable, through subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables, whole and minimally processed foods, community exercise programmes and nutrition education.
He said Budget 2027 presented an opportunity to actively build a "culture of health" in Malaysia, in which healthy behaviours are embedded in everyday life rather than left to individual effort alone.
The same approach, Kuljit said, should be applied to screening and early detection, with targeted subsidies and public funding making appropriate NCD screening and preventive care more accessible, particularly for those who might otherwise delay treatment due to cost.
People should not, he added, be deterred from seeking early diagnosis by concerns that a diagnosis could affect their insurance coverage, employment or other aspects of their lives.
On healthcare delivery, Kuljit said continued support for the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme could help ease capacity constraints in the public healthcare system by allowing public hospitals to outsource selected cases to private providers.
Private hospitals had also proposed prioritising the digitalisation of Private Medical Practice Control Section licensing processes to improve regulatory efficiency and reduce administrative delays, he said.
They further proposed maintaining funding for key national healthcare institutions and quality assurance bodies, including the Malaysian Medical Council, Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council and Malaysian Society for Quality in Health.
“Making healthier choices the easier choice will, in the long term, meaningfully reduce both the burden and cost on our healthcare system,” he said.
-- BERNAMA