Materia Medica Malaysiana

Chua: Fund has benefited 44 chronic illness patients

Forty-four patients suffering from chronic illnesses have benefited from the National Health Welfare Fund, Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng said today.
Refuting allegations that bureaucracy had delayed disbursement from the fund, he said, the ministry had dealt with 321 cases — almost one a day — since the fund was launched in September 2002.

Chua said RM1.5 million was disbursed to the 44 patients for treatment in government or private hospitals as well as overseas.

"Another 277 applicants who also sought financial assistance from the NHWF were referred to government hospitals," he said when commenting on reports in a Bahasa Malaysia daily that the ministry had failed to fulfil its objective of helping the lowincome group.

Chua said another 35 cases, each seeking a sum of between RM40,000 and RM80,000 for chronic illnesses, were pending approval.

"All applications sent to the fund are vetted immediately by the NHWF committee headed by Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif. If applicants deserve the aid, approval is given without undue delay." Chua gave a detailed account on each of the four cases highlighted in the newspaper.

He also said he had asked the Cabinet to waive some of the stringent conditions for applicants of the Chronic Disease Special Fund, which is different from the NHWF.

This includes the condition that only people with income less than RM600 can benefit from it and that they must raise a dollar for every dollar given by the ministry.