KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 16): The Ministry of Health is going to set up a technical working group called the Health Transformation Office (HTO) that will oversee the implementation of healthcare sector reforms in the country, as outlined under the Health White Paper, said Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The health minister said this is to ensure that the country’s healthcare reform is led by individuals with expertise in the healthcare industry.
“We have identified how to get this move (healthcare reform) into action, [which is] by having the HTO — that would be the first. HTO would be the one, the most pertinent and most critical, to drive this [reform],” Dr Dzulkefly told a press conference after witnessing the strategic collaboration between KPJ Healthcare Bhd and Mayo Clinic Care here on Friday.
According to him, the HTO will be responsible for digital health transformation and health financing reforms.
“The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will get the HTO to be manned by those very competent and very able to get to move this agenda (Health White Paper),” he noted.
Meanwhile, he said the MOH will continue to address othey key transformations under the Health White Paper, including hospital infrastructure and the provision of healthcare services across Malaysia.
“The rest (besides digital health transformation and health financing reforms), to me, are business as usual, by way of addressing infrastructure and the universal health coverage, by way of disparity between Sabah and Sarawak, with West Malaysia. Those are ongoing issues that I’ve got to address,” he added.
The Health White Paper — whis was passed by the Parliament in June last year under then health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa — outlined the issues plaguing Malaysia’s public healthcare sector, along with strategies to reform the national healthcare system.