In the first place, the Malaysian government spending on health care is a miserly 2 per cent of GDP – well below WHO recommendations and the global average.
The above chart is for TOTAL spending on health care. If we consider just government spending – why, the Malaysian government spends a miserable 2 per cent of GDP on the public health care system (i.e. government general hospitals and clinics).
And that’s not all, the Malaysian government spending on health care is just 7 per cent of total government expenditure. Thailand spends double the proportion.
Let’s look at some WHO statistics (2009) to see where we stand.
- Total spending on health as % of GDP
Canada – 10.9%
UK – 9.4%
Australia – 8.5%
Singapore – 3.9%
Malaysia – 4.8%
Thailand – 4.3%
- Government spending on health care as % of GDP
Canada – 7.5%
UK – 7.6%
Australia – 6.0%
Singapore – 1.6%
Malaysia – 2.2%
Thailand – 3.3%
- Government spending on health care as % of total government spending
Canada – 17.0%
UK – 15.1%
Australia – 18.3%
Singapore – 9.8%
Malaysia – 7.1%
Thailand – 14.0%
- Government expenditure on health care per person (adjusted to purchasing power parity)
Canada – US$2883
UK – US$2843
Australia – US$2371
Singapore – US$858
Malaysia – US$303
Thailand – US$261
Look at the difference in the government health care spending per capita in Singapore, let alone countries with a relatively stronger public health care system, compared to Malaysia. (The difference in purchasing power has already been taken into account.)
Bear in mind that a chunk of the Malaysian government’s expenditure on health care is probably going to pay for hospital support services and drug procurement – privatised to well connected companies – the costs of which have soared over the years.
Whichever way you look at it, our general hospitals and government are underfunded and hence, overstretched and overcrowded.
Now you see why we don’t need 1Care? Just cut out the corruption and wastage of public funds, look into the costs of privatised support services and drug procurement (and nationalise these if necessary), and allocate substantially more of our government budget to public health care.
Tak nak 1Care!
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Do you want 10% of your salary to be deducted ??
Spending is not the whole story of course. After all, USA including its citizens spends the most and gets little in return. Dr Jonathan Gruber, MIT healthcare economist, said in 2012 that about US$800 billion – nearly 1/3 of all healthcare spending – is wasted on unnecessary diagnostic tests, procedures and extra days in the hospital. The modern medical mafia is set up so that those who benefit are the capitalists – hospital entrepreneurs, med equipmnent maker, med services, big pharma, insurance and our beloved banksters. Traditional med which plays a part is supressed. I don’t have the reference but… Read more »
Yes you are right of course, but we our level of funding is below the global average.
It’s a capitalist game the world over. From Big Pharma, medical institutions to health insurance companies. They all know we will get sick but the problem is the manipulation of treatments and medication on the undiscerning public who think medic insurance is a comforting security against financial ruins. Many Americans have been made bankrupt by this insidious practice of expensive health care.
To overinsured, you live like a pauper. To underinsured / no insured, you risk bankruptcy. What the hell is this life of medic-care?
The Barang Naiki syndrome is playing to the capitalist tune of greed and murder.
You must understand that Regim BN is desperate to launch any program under its ‘1’ initiative to win votes.
and hence the bastadization of 1 this and 1 that …..
Health care in this country used to get the 2nd largest allocation in the federal budget after education.
What is its position today?
some say it is actually 1Crony healthcare money making machine ?
if agree thumbs up
1Care will take 10% off of your salary.GST 4% will strangle you. Continue to vote Najib AMMO & Barang Naik & MCA, that will make us a Bankrupt Nation
If an Honest CAT Government imposes a small % of our salary for superior health facilities, many will not hesitate to contribute.
The strongest ojection is caused by a corrupt government which uses public funds to fatten up cronies, and negotiate lop-sided deals, which totally screw up the rakyat
Spot on! I just dont trust this gov anymore especially when it comes to money.
We don’t need 1Care but the rent seeking Umnoputras do. They and their BN lackeys are salivating at the prospects of tens of billions of our hard earned money for them to lay their oily fingers on.
Malaysia spending less because of PRUDENT approach. Splashing cash everywhere NOT means GOOD.
Bookwise people tend to manipulate the statistics figure to suit his own need. Eh, how many patients in each country ??? Oh, omitted. What type of illness in each country ??? Oh, omitted. The spending types of each country ??? Oh, omitted.
So, we can ignore the conclusion for this article due to incompleteness.
Could say the same thing about your comments which are also evasive in nature. Is Dr. Frankenstein your GP?
His comment are not just evasive but plain lies
Kudos to the slightly improvement in the quality of your arguments. However you must have missed the “as Percentage of” part.
Let me give you BN folks a simple analogy just in case.
A and B both spends 10% of their salary on charity. You would not question why B earns more would you?
Dear Gerakan K, I am sure even you cannot deny that the public healthcare system in this country is bad. People who are in need of treatment often have to wait for weeks. Number of doctors are increasing but the number of hospitals are not increasing proportionately. In KL GH there are over ten doctors cramped into a single ward. In Penang GH two and sometimes 4 doctors see patients cramped into a single room. All the major government hospitals are over crowded. If you don’t believe me step into any GH. Spending doesn’t have to increase, just lower the… Read more »