Ministry Calls Meeting To Discuss Medical Aid Fund

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has called a meeting with representatives of non-governmental organisations, political and social organisations and other interested parties on Tuesday to discuss the Medical Aid Fund (MAF) which was criticised recently for not being patient-friendly.
Minister Datuk Chua Soi Lek said the meeting would review conditions to make it easier for patients to benefit from the fund.
He said the meeting would also be attended by the ministry's Secretary-General Datuk Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf and Health Director-General Datuk Dr Ismail Merican.
Dr Chua was speaking to reporters after the launch of the Power Root Ambassador and Secondary Broadcast Sponsors of this year's World Cup football championship at Seri Kembangan near here Thursday.
He said the fund was set up to help patients who could not afford treatment, medicines or health devices.
To qualify, applicants must be Malaysian citizens, poor or disabled registered with the Welfare Department.
The ministry had received 630 applications for assistance under the fund, of which 422 were approved, since MAF was set up last year.
The applications approved involved RM6.7 million and comprised 183 Malay patients, Chinese (112), Indians (92) and Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak (35).