Health minister: MSU’s ‘Heart’ programme to enhance healthcare access for B40

SHAH ALAM, April 25 — The Management and Science University (MSU) through MSU Medical Centre (MSUMC) has launched the Health Equity for Affordable and Rapid Treatment (Heart) programme to enhance healthcare access for the B40 group.

The initiative, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, sees MSUMC acting as a cluster hospital and buffer zone for Shah Alam Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang and Sultan Idris Shah Hospital, Serdang in handling specific surgical cases.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said Heart is an excellent public-private partnership initiative to provide better access to services, especially for low-income groups.

“Heart is an outstanding programme that assists the government in its effort to improve healthcare access for specific cases through collaboration with the private sector.

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“In addition to widening access, this programme also helps reduce waiting times in public hospitals, which can reach between six and nine months,” he told a press conference after launching Heart here today.

Also present were MSU president Prof Tan Sri Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid and Health deputy director-general (medical) Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus.

Dzulkefly said the programme, which officially began on March 18, also indirectly aids the ministry in optimising the use of operating theatres in the participating hospitals for emergency cases.

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Meanwhile, Mohd Shukri said the programme, which also involves cooperation from the MSU Foundation, aims to provide treatment to 50 patients per month, enabling the target group to benefit from quality, advanced and up-to-date healthcare services.

Among the free surgical services provided are the Inguinal Hernia Repair Procedure and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

“Other services offered include first-class wards, shorter waiting periods, and protection from other surgical costs,” he said, adding that since its introduction, 16 surgeries have been performed through the Heart initiative. — Bernama