KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has expanded the appointment system, via the MySejahtera application, at all primary health facilities, as a measure to improve service efficiency and client access at the health facilities.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the appointment system aims to assist primary health facilities to arrange service schedules based on their respective capacities, and to avoid congestion at registration and waiting points due to long waiting times.

She added that eight services will be included in the appointment system, namely outpatient treatment; National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI); PeKa B40 health screening and pre-employment/pre-study health screening.

Also included are pre-marital screening; smoking cessation services (KBM) and family planning services, as well as procedures such as wound treatment, tube replacement and others.

"This service has commenced at 673 health clinics in phases, starting with NHSI screening, PeKa B40 and KBM, and will be expanded to other services in stages," she said in a statement today.

She added that one of the advantages of this online appointment system is that customers can plan their visits to primary health facilities according to their suitability.

"In addition, customers can also easily change the appointment date through the MySejahtera application, without having to call the health facility.

Dr Zaliha said the appointment system also has an automated reminder function so that customers attend according to the time and date which has been booked.

She added that the MySejahtera application appointment system for 2023 has started, and bookings can be made starting today.

For emergency, fever or infectious disease cases, people can go straight to the primary health facility, without having to make an appointment first.

"With the digitalisation of the health service system provided by the MOH, I hope it can promote health programmes under primary health facilities to the community more effectively, and make the national health care service system more efficient.

"MOH is always committed to efforts towards the digitalisation of the health system to be in line with the 2021 - 2025 MoH Digitalisation Strategic Plan (PSP), under Strategic Core 2 which is Strengthening New Technologies," she said.

-- BERNAMA