1Malaysia clinics to be rebranded as ‘Community Clinics’

All 1Malaysia clinics nationwide will be rebranded into “Community Clinics” and be supplied with both doctors and pharmacists.

The Health Ministry will also review all such clinics nationwide with the aim of closing those which are non-optimal.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced this at a press conference today.

“We have decided to give the clinics a new name, Community Clinics. This will replace the present 1Malaysia Clinics.

“We feel this is in line with our goal of making these clinics serve communities whether in urban, rural or semi-urban areas,” he said at the ministry headquarters in Putrajaya today.

He added that the clinics, previously criticised for not having doctors, will now all be supplied with doctors and pharmacists.

“To increase the quality of healthcare at these clinics, the ministry will supply them with medical officers and revamp their pharmaceutical service by placing either pharmacists or least an assistant pharmacist there,” he said.

Dzulkefly estimated that the rebranding and upgrading exercise to cost between RM5 to RM10 million though he did not provide an exact figure.

He also expected the exercise to take between three to six months.

Close non-optimal clinics

Dzulkefly said the ministry will only be upgrading clinics which fit two criteria - those which see more than 50 patients daily and those with premises more than 1,400 square feet with space for medical and pharmacy services.

“If they do not meet these criteria, we will close the clinics."

Staff from closed clinics will be redeployed to existing ones, he added.

There are presently 346 1Malaysia clinics nationwide.

Since January this year, 1.8 million Malaysians have visited these clinics, added Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. 

Fire report to be made public

On a separate issue, Dzulkefly promised that the ministry will make public the fire report of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru, which was razed two years ago.

“Yes, I will study the findings in the report and hold a press conference in due time to explain the findings.

“[...] We will give proper answers, the new government is very transparent and responsible,” he responded to a question.

The independent committee probing the fire, which resulted in six deaths, submitted their report to the Health Ministry on June 6. 

They urged that the ministry declassify the report. - Mkini