Malaysia’s health ministry outlines four major reforms for 2026, focusing on digitalisation, financing, human capital and a shift from sick-care to health-care.
PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health has designated this year as the implementation phase for comprehensive reforms of the national health system. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the focus is on structural changes to ensure healthcare services are future-ready.
He outlined four major leaps guiding the ministry’s efforts under the theme ‘Modernising the Health System, Boosting Service Quality’. The leaps are comprehensive digitalisation, financing reform, human capital and welfare, and public health and ethics.
“We are now standing on the threshold of a new phase,” Dzulkefly told the media after the 2026 New Year’s Address. He stated that 2026 is the year for implementation after previous years focused on diagnosing issues and planning.
The comprehensive digitalisation drive aims to expand the health digitalisation system significantly. This includes rolling out the Total Hospital Information System to 16 hospitals and the Cloud-Based Clinic Management System to 2,489 primary health facilities.
The ministry will also operate a centralised real-time monitoring dashboard and initiate the National Health Interoperability Platform. This long-term vision aims to ensure people have integrated health files online.
Under financing reform, the ministry will strengthen the Diagnosis-Related Group-based payment mechanism to standardise treatment costs. The RESET framework will be implemented to restructure health insurance and takaful for greater fairness.
This collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Ministry of Finance includes implementing co-payment features to control premium increases. The goal is to create a more sustainable financing engine for the health system.
For human capital, the ministry is targeting new permanent appointments for 4,500 medical officers and 935 nurses. An Integrated Human Resources Dashboard will be operational to provide a comprehensive overview of workforce distribution.
The public health and ethics leap marks a major paradigm shift from sick-care to health-care. The National Transplant Resource Centre will be restructured to address the country’s low organ donation rate.
“We are in the process of establishing a National Transplant Council with the authority to access data and manage resources more effectively,” Dzulkefly said. The ministry will also review existing policies and legislation, particularly the Human Tissue Act 1974.
Dzulkefly also announced that Malaysia will chair the 2026 ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur this August.
