PETALING JAYA: The private sector can do more to bridge the treatment access gap for low-income breast cancer patients, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
He said his ministry looks forward to a more effective public-private partnership, especially in identifying innovative funding solutions and schemes.
“While we have allocated budget to support this group, the private sectors can also do more to bridge the access gap for these women,“ Dzulkefly said at the launch of the Targetted Therapy Welfare Fund for Breast Cancer by Roche and Beacon Hospital Malaysia.
“The health sector requires the synergy of the public and private, and together we can make a more meaningful performance in healthcare delivery. More needs to be done in the private sector to assist these women.”
Dzulkefly said the government is committed to providing treatment to all patients.
“Despite the rising cost of healthcare, we would like to assure the public that the government will continue to provide access to affordable and high-quality treatment at public hospitals,“ he added.
The fund is initiated by Roche Malaysia and Beacon Hospital. It provides HER2-positive breast cancer patients with targeted medicines at a lower cost.
HER2-positive breast cancer patients test positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which promotes the growth of cancer cells.
The fund is available to Malaysian patients, especially those who have exhausted their finances or have insufficient insurance coverage.
Under the initiative, patients will need to pay only less than RM3,000 per cycle.
Applicants will be required to go through an interview process and assessments, which may take up to three days, before accessing treatment at Beacon Hospital.
