100 days KPI: MOH going towards restoring non-Covid-19 operations

 

While Covid-19 continues to be the focus of the Health Ministry, its newly minted minister Khairy Jamaluddin plans to start returning other non-pandemic operations back to normal.

Making it part of his 100 days’ goals, the minister said efforts are underway to clear backlogs that were created since some services had to be halted or reduced when the pandemic hit Malaysia last year.

These include elective general surgeries and dental services.

"We will make sure that the backlogs of elective general surgeries, which have been postponed because of Covid-19, will be reduced by 20 percent. This is to be done within the first 100 days (of my tenure).

"This will be done by outsourcing the elective surgeries to private hospitals.

"For dental, we will also increase the capacity for procedures which had to be halted as they create aerosols, such as tooth filling and scaling.

"We will make sure 70 percent of our dental clinics reinstate all their dental services that we have put off due to the pandemic.

"This is what we are doing in getting our healthcare sector back to normal after Covid-19," Khairy told a special interview on Friday.

The session was held to announce a list of key performance index (KPI) that the minister would have to accomplish within his first 100 days in the office.

All cabinet members were given 100 days by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to show their capabilities to perform. The countdown started on Monday when they were sworn in before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and was expected to end by Dec 8.

Since the pandemic hit Malaysia in January last year, the Health Ministry had to shift its focus towards dealing with Covid-19 intervention.

As cases continued to increase especially during a series of surges that started in May, the health authority had to divert many of its human resources and equipment and in some cases, close hospitals to make them full Covid-19 facilities.

Mental health

Khairy also raised the issue of mental health, saying that the level of awareness among the Malaysian public is still low.

The ministry has found out that many are not even aware that there are mental health services, including helplines, available for them.

"I will make sure that we have a campaign so that all Malaysians know that mental health services are available.

"I have also asked for the capacity of psychosocial assistance to be increased by 10 percent capacity to deal with calls, with referrals for psychosocial services."

The ministry is also to appoint 20 more NGOs, on top of 20 existing ones, to work together in advocating and assisting people with mental health.

According to Khairy, the ministry also targets to increase its teleconsultation services capacity for non-Covid-19 patients by 30 percent. This is also to be achieved within 100 days. - Mkini