Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said despite the programme being offered free to those in the group aged 40 and above, as well as recipients of the Bantuan Sara Hidup aid, the takeup rate remained low and could be attributed to poor awareness.
"It is the most basic health screening and that too, they do not want to do it.
"So, when we are faced with this situation, we do not know what is the true burden on our healthcare system. We will only know when they are sick.
"Many diabetic patients were unaware (of the disease) until it was too late and the same goes for cancer," he said during a programme to mark World Cancer Day 2022 in Ampang today.
The programme was organised by Yayasan Kaseh Kanser dan Kronik (YKKK), Yayasan Prihatin Nasional, Persatuan Orang Kota Baru and the D'Tandoor International Group of Restaurants.
Khairy stressed on the importance of early cancer detection which betters the chance of containing and treating the disease.
Cases that were detected late at stages 3 and 4 were found to have increased from 58.7 per cent between 2007 and 2011 to 63.7 per cent between 2012 and 2016, he said.
"The rise in percentage is worrying because the Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival published in October 2018 showed that the later cancer is detected, the lower a patient's chances of survival.
"Therefore, it is crucial that there is a concerted effort from all parties to identify ways to boost awareness and access to early detection and treatment on health issues in Malaysians, especially the Malays, when it comes to (Covid-19) vaccination," he said.
Another cause of concern was the nation's high rate of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular as well as obesity, which presents further complications in Covid-19 patients, he added.
The chance of recovery could be slim in these patients, said Khairy, and it had brought about a high number of Covid-19 deaths.
"In this aspect, I hope there will be efforts from these organisations to build awareness. There needs to be education and explanations not just from the health and science aspects but from the religious and social aspects on health issues," he said.
While briefly mentioning his late father who had died of cancer in 1992, Khairy said it was also vital to assist the caregivers of cancer patients.
"When we talk about cancer, it is not just about giving support to the patient but also their families, especially B40 families and if there is only one carer.
"There is mental and emotional pressure and we need to protect them, too. I have experienced for myself what they are going through," he said. - NST
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