The Health Ministry will kick start a pilot project on integrated Enhanced Primary Healthcare (EnPHC) in July, to store medical records of 300,000 Malaysians.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam said the pilot programme would be implemented at 20 Klinik Kesihatan in Selangor and Johor before gradually been implemented nationwide.

He added that the electronic medical records of 30 million Malaysians would be introduced through a seamless transition of care between the public and private sectors within five years.

Dr Subramaniam said the health system would be more proactive and preventive towards the population wellness and health awareness following the growing concern related to the increase of non-communicable diseases (NCD).

"We want a healthy Malaysian society as the prevalence of NCD have risen especially in heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and effects of drug abuse, alcohol and smoking," he said in a press conference here today.

Dr Subramaniam said the prevalence of diabetes had tripled from 6.3 per cent to 17.5 per cent from 1986 to 2015, while hypercholesterolemia has doubled (23 per cent to 48 per cent) from 2006 to 2015.

"More alarmingly, more than 50 per cent of these cases are not diagnosed and the number continues to increase. This has cost the country RM22.6 billion. We must start it now to collect the health records of our Malaysians," he said, adding sick citizens would reduce the country's productivity.

With the EnPHC, Dr Subramaniam said individuals arriving at the Klinik Kesihatan will be assigned to Family Health Teams, which would enable each person to be seen by the same team led by the same doctor at every visit.

"Quick assessment and response to incoming patients will reduce congestion and waiting time during registration. A thorough and risk-based screening will be done by the team to determine proper intervention required," he explained. - BERNAMA