Alifah Zainuddin

1 week ago | codeblue.galencentre.org | Alifah Zainuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Life insurance companies say they are making losses on their health insurance portfolios despite perceived overall profits, with claims far outpacing premiums in recent years. This led to insurers recording medical insurance portfolio losses from 2022 through 2024.

2 weeks ago | codeblue.galencentre.org | Alifah Zainuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) epidemiologist Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy has proposed a regional drug procurement model for Southeast Asia to improve access to life-saving medicines, particularly for cancer. The public health medicine specialist in cancer control and cancer policy urged policymakers to look beyond narrow health financing reforms focused solely on hospital bills, touting regional procurement of expensive medicines instead.

2 weeks ago | codeblue.galencentre.org | Alifah Zainuddin

PETALING JAYA, June 11 — Medical professionals have been reminded to maintain a high index of suspicion for dengue, as the mosquito-borne virus often presents with misleading symptoms or none at all. Experts said dengue is now endemic in Malaysia and not seasonal, with cases occurring year-round across all states. Yet its ability to mimic other viral infections — such as influenza — and that up to 75 per cent of infections may be asymptomatic make early detection difficult.

2 weeks ago | codeblue.galencentre.org | Alifah Zainuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) is targeting a phased rollout of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) payment system in the Rakan KKM programme by the end of this year. Rakan KKM, expected to be launched in Cyberjaya Hospital, aims to charge patients above cost for certain services, unlike other government-subsidised health care services in MOH. Rakan KKM has a CEO – Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar – who recently left the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) as CEO.

2 weeks ago | codeblue.galencentre.org | Alifah Zainuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The long-delayed review of private general practitioner (GP) consultation fees is now in the final stages of scrutiny by a high-level committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has submitted the fee review proposal outcome from the National Cost of Living Action Council (Naccol) to the Executive Committee, which will finalise the matter.