According to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Education would continue to get the largest budgetary allotments in the Madani Budget 2024, which will be presented on October 13.
Anwar, who will submit the second Madani Budget as Finance Minister, stated that the MoH budget will prioritise the construction of health clinics and the alleviation of congestion in government hospitals around the country.
“In the Madani Budget, health and education issues will continue to be given emphasis. Our main focus is healthcare facilities, including hospitals.
“Some claim that since Anwar became PM, most hospitals have become congested. This problem has long existed, so we will manage it properly,” he said when launching the national Madani Medical Scheme and Madani Afiat Programme 2023.
Anwar added that rationalising government subsidies was vital to making sure they went to the populations that really needed them.
According to him, this included the cost of medical care in public hospitals.
“We have to study it; if we want to continue with subsidies, there is no need to give to the 10 percent (high-income group). For example, hospital charges are low, even free in some cases, but we give to all. Is it wrong to impose higher payments on the richest group?” he said.
Regarding the Madani Medical Scheme, he said it was a crucial project under the Malaysia Madani Policy to give the B40 group equitable access to high-quality medical care.
On September 25, which was World Pharmacists Day, Anwar also sent greetings to the neighborhood’s pharmacy community.
He also commended Perak for putting various programmes, such as the state-level Malaysia Health Month program, into place to better the distribution of health information to the populace.