Poor Response To Medical Aid Fund

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- The Medical Aid Fund set up to help patients who cannot afford treatment, medicines or health devices is not getting the response expected, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said the government agreed to allocate RM100 million to the fund and an initial RM25 million had already been received by the ministry but the number of applications for assistance was not encouraging.
The fund was established early last year to replace the National Health Welfare Fund but it had only given out a total of RM6 million to 400 patients, he told reporters after presenting aid totalling RM483,000 to 16 recipients under the fund at his office Monday.
He said it was possible many people did not know the existence of the fund.
Forms to apply for assistance from the fund could be obtained at any government hospital, Welfare Department office or the fund's secretariat in the ministry.
"To qualify, applicants must be Malaysian citizens, poor or disabled registered with the Welfare Department," he said.
Chua said aid would be considered before treatment and would be approved within two weeks of application.
At Monday's presentation of aid, heart patient Kok Yong Seng received the highest amount of RM80,000 for a biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).