15 Government Hospitals to Lead RM1 Billion Healthcare Digitalization Push, Says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 — A total of 15 government hospitals have been selected as the initial cohort to benefit from an expanded RM1 billion allocation aimed at strengthening digital efficiency across Malaysia’s public healthcare sector.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced that the funding—which was increased from an initial RM650 million—will accelerate the rollout of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system and expand internet connectivity, including public Wi-Fi, across government hospitals and health clinics. Speaking to reporters after the Prime Minister’s National Day Address at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today, Fahmi noted that while 15 hospitals are initially slated for completion, he will advocate in upcoming discussions to expand this figure further alongside the target of 2,000 health clinics this year.

Fahmi highlighted the success of the EMR pilot project at the Padang Besar Health Clinic, where electronic access to patient data allowed doctors to streamline consultations without relying on physical files, significantly reducing waiting times for visitors. The initiative represents a joint effort between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to modernize clinical operations nationwide.

“This increase in allocation is aimed at accelerating efforts for digital access at health clinics and government hospitals as well as the e-medical record programme that we have implemented through the collaboration of MCMC and the Ministry of Health,” Fahmi said.

Additionally, Fahmi stated that the Ministry of Communications will ensure effective dissemination of government relief measures announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, including detailed rollout plans for free artificial intelligence application subscriptions targeting 100,000 youths aged 18 to 30. The digital healthcare boost forms part of a broader package of six key national initiatives, which also include increased school maintenance funding, expanded fuel quotas, higher e-Invoicing exemption limits, and enhanced micro-financing facilities.

–NMT