Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Press Statement by DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Tanjong Chow Kon Yeow on Tuesday, 3 April 2007
High price of drugs in Malaysia excludes the poor, DAP calls for government action to make drugs and medicine available and affordable for all

The DAP views with concern the finding of a recent research report published in PLos Medicine that drugs essential to basic health care have been priced out of the reach of Malaysia’s poor.
An international team of researchers looked at the cost of 48 key drugs in private and government-run pharmacies and dispensing doctor’s surgeries in four regions of Semananjung Malaysia.
Twenty-eight of these drugs are on a core list of ‘essential’ drugs published by the World Health Organization, based on disease burden. The remaining 20 are important for health care needs specific to Malaysia.
Prices of patented and generic drugs were compared and average local wages assessed to calculate the affordability of drugs.
They found that the prices of both patented and generic drugs were on average 16 times higher than international reference prices, and that some dispensing doctors are selling generic drugs at 310 times their real cost. (more…)

A new bill on Malaysian Health Promotion Board 2006 has been tabled for first reading today.

The purpose is to incorporate the Malaysian Heaith Promotion Board and to establish the Malaysian Health Promotion Fund.

Clause 14 sets out the objectives of the Board which are mainly related to building the capacity and funding health-related, sport, recreational and cultural organizations to promote health. The objectives also include developing and supporting multi-strategy programmes that promote healthy lifestyles and environments and preventing the use of tobacco products.

The Fund is to be disbursed annually to different sectors for health promotion programmes and activities; not less than 50 percent to health organisations, not more than 30 percent to sporting and recreational organizations and not more than 10 percent to cultural organizations.

To keep the Fund running, annual allocation will be given by the Government and also grants, donations, gifts, contributions, bequests or any other sums received by the Board from any sources EXCEPT from those involved or related to tobacco, tobacco products or intoxicating liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, retaiers or their agents.

Hopefully Malaysians will be more healthy, a prerequisite for a better standard of living.

Media Statement by DAP National Vice Chairman and Member of Parliament for Tanjong Chow Kon Yeow on Wednesday, 19 January 2006

Health Minister sitting on RM100 millions when critically sick Malaysians are suffering!
————————————————————————————————————–
It is shocking news that the new RM100 millions Medical Assistance Fund set up by the Government has not achieved its desired results as only RM6.1 millions had been given out so far.

This is an admission of failure in the Health Ministry’s delivery system.

Needy Malaysians who are disabled or suffering from chronic ailments would be deprived of continuous aid under the Fund unless the Minister takes urgent step to reduce bureaucratic red tapes in the disbursement of aids.

This is a typical Malaysian malaise. Here we have ordinary citizens with chronic ailments seeking public donations through the media but there we have millions stacking up at the Minister’s desk because of the lack of publicity of the fund.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek should not give a lame excuse that the fund was left untouched because of the lack of publicity.

Instead he should order a revamp in the delivery system of the said Medical Fund so that money would reach the hands of deserving Malaysians to seek treatment for their chronic ailments.

We hope Datuk Dr Chua would not be still sitting over the RM100 millions and we expect better results the next six months.

CHOW KON YEOW