KUALA LUMPUR: The Health White Paper is the beginning of the journey of reforming the Malaysian health system to be continued if accepted, said Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

She said one of the strategic thrusts of the White Paper is to ensure the sustainability of health care funding by diversifying funding sources for health, where special focus is given to the development of a national health insurance scheme.

"If the mandate is obtained through the passing of the Health White Paper, the Ministry of Health (MoH) will take the next step by carrying out the basic work required in the development of the national health insurance scheme such as calculating the appropriate contribution rates, developing health benefit packages and determining the payment mechanism for health service providers.

"Therefore, I call on all members of Parliament in this august house (Dewan Rakyat) to understand and support the Health White Paper that I am aiming to present in Parliament this June," she said when replying to a question from Captain (Rtd) Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (PN-Tanjong Karang) who wanted to know about the implementation status of the national health insurance scheme.

Dr Zaliha said that currently her ministry is continuing to engage with stakeholders to ensure that more people understand and give input in the development of a stronger Health White Paper.

Replying to Zulkafperi's supplementary question about the status of the Health White Paper, she said MoH is conducting several engagement sessions with stakeholders and will hold a town hall session for health workers to ensure they understand the contents of the White Paper.

"The policy we are using to develop this White Paper is a comprehensive one that we will try to develop within 15 years," she said.

-- BERNAMA