Accelerating Healthcare Transformation in a COVID Stricken Environment

Published on 31 Aug 2021

KSI organised the Malaysian Healthcare Conference 2021 on the 13th and 14th August 2021 with focus on efforts dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and providing the supporting environment for the delivery of quality healthcare.

Key recommendations from speakers for the conference are the following:

• SOPs can be redesignated to COVID Control Regulations (CCR) which places a need for the public to comply with these regulations
• In the fight against the pandemic, one area of importance is mental health. Proper strategies to manage human psychology are necessary through the use of cognitive-behavioral approaches, mindfulness, and spirituality.
• A bipartisan approach is needed in managing the pandemic with politicians on both sides ceasing to politicise issues and instead begin to work together to resolve this crisis by sharing solutions and information.
• To reform the healthcare system and encouraging closer integrations between private and public healthcare, there first needs to be financing reform within the healthcare system. MOH lacks the budget to provide the necessary resources that a functioning healthcare system requires, affecting its ability to respond adequately to those infected by COVID-19.
• Malaysia should consider the establishment of a Health Reform Commission that is accountable to Parliament as its healthcare system needs a commission that is timeless, rather than being contingent on changes to the government. Allowing MOH to deconflict itself from its multiple roles as payer, regulator, and asset owner will allow greater focus in the management of public health.
• The adoption of teleconsultation and telemedicine can only be accelerated when the key challenges in clinician adoption, infrastructure, policy and regulation, and payor-provider reimbursement are overcome.
• Stronger emphasis is needed on preventive and promotive healthcare which is more cost-effective and can lead to improved health outcomes.
• The healthcare sector should continue to leverage digital transformation, augmenting the advantages through AI, 5G technology, IoT, big data analytics, and blockchain. This can be applied to electronic health records and lead to an improvement in healthcare access, quality, and delivery.