Accra:The Health Ministry will broaden the scope of the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP) after its budget allocation increased to RM200 million under Budget 2027, tabled yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Health Director-General (Medical) Datuk Dr Mohd Azman Yacob stated that this additional funding would allow the ministry to refer more patients to private hospitals for quicker treatment. The allocation increase from RM144 million to RM200 million will enable HSOP to expand into new areas deemed suitable.

This initiative has effectively reduced waiting times at government hospitals, especially for CT and MRI scans, which previously had waiting periods of three to six months. Dr Mohd Azman shared these insights during a press conference following the Public-Private Partnership Empowerment Ceremony for the Cataract Surgery Programme between the Malaysian Government and Perak Community Specialist Hospital.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, announced this allocation in the Dewan Rakyat when presenting Budget 2027. The measure aims to reduce waiting times at government hospitals by outsourcing patient treatment to other facilities.

HSOP, introduced in 2024, currently assists patients in fields such as nephrology, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, paediatric cardiology, and radiology. Dr Mohd Azman noted that HSOP allows patients to receive treatment at private hospitals more promptly, with costs based on government hospital rates. For instance, if private hospital treatment costs RM3,000, patients pay the government rate, and the government covers the rest through HSOP.

Patients are selected for the programme based on specialist assessments at government hospitals, focusing on cases requiring urgent treatment and diagnostic procedures.