BERA: The government is prepared to consider increasing the allocation for the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the 2023 Budget which is expected to be tabled in October.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this was because the MOH was one of the important ministries that deal directly with the people.

"During the recent coordination meeting of the development projects under RMK12 (12th Malaysia Plan), I was informed that MOH needs to be assisted in the upcoming budget.

"YB KJ (Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin) has asked for the expenditure to be increased to five per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Right now it's 2.5 per cent, there's another half.

"The EPU (Economic Planning Unit) will look into this. God willing, there will be at least a slight increase in the budget this year compared to previous years," he said when opening the Bera Hospital here today.


The Prime Minister said he understood the need for the higher allocation because Malaysia would be an aged country in 2040, which would lead to high health expenses.

He also realised that other aged countries had increased their respective health budgets because there was an increase in the number of elderly people admitted to the hospitals.

The construction of Bera Hospital is also proof of the government's seriousness and commitment in developing and providing quality health services, he added.

"The construction project has been abandoned for a long time due to the failure of the contractor. Alhamdulillah, the hospital is finally ready. I want to congratulate the Health Ministry, Works Ministry and other stakeholders for working together to finish the construction of Bera Hospital," he said.

Ismail Sabri also expressed his appreciation to the late Sultan Ahmad Shah who was an important figure behind the realisation of Bera Hospital.

-- BERNAMA