The Malaysian Health Ministry announced plans to expand services at private clinics, including ultrasound and Occupational Health Doctor (OHD) offerings, to better recognize general practitioners' competencies and training [1, 2]. Currently, over 70% of private GP clinics surveyed earn less than RM60,000 monthly and struggle with rising medication costs and an increasing number of GPs [1, 2].
The Ministry also plans to extend the PEKA B40 and Madani Medical Scheme programs from their current focus on non-communicable disease screening and acute outpatient care to cover additional treatment for these diseases, pending financial approval [1, 2]. PEKA B40 targets early detection of illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, while Madani Medical Scheme addresses minor illnesses in primary outpatient settings [1, 2].
To streamline private clinic operations, the Ministry is working with the Finance Ministry, Employee Provident Fund, and private consultants to simplify the clinic opening application process [1, 2]. This effort is part of a broader approach to strengthen governance of the national primary healthcare system, aiming to improve medical service accessibility, equity, and sustainability [2].
Ongoing collaboration between the government and private GPs includes vaccination campaigns and health screenings under PEKA B40 and Madani Medical Scheme [2]. Datuk Dr R Thirunavukarasu, Malaysian Medical Association President, urged easing congestion at government clinics by referring basic healthcare cases to GP clinics to support and revitalize private practices [1].
In May 2026, the Health Ministry officially announced these plans and began drafting directives to expand private clinic service scopes and enhance policies for GP empowerment [1, 2]. Malaysia currently has about 10,000 private clinics, with 2,000 surveyed for this study [1, 2].
