FINANCE Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz today dismissed claims from various quarters there were cutbacks in funds allocated to the Health Ministry under Budget 2021.

In rebutting the claims, Tengku Zafrul said the ministry had received an allocation of RM31.9 billion, which is higher than the RM30.6 billion allocated under Budget 2020 by the Pakatan Harapan government.

He said no areas under the health budget saw a reduction in allocation.

“I would like to reiterate that the government will not compromise in its efforts to safeguard the lives and health of Malaysians,” he said tonight in a Facebook post.

Former health minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said yesterday if the emoluments for contract workers, which amounts to RM1.9 billion is taken out of the equation, then the allocation will be lower than the RM30.6 billion allocated by PH.

He claimed this would mean that areas such as medicine programmes, public health, pharmacy services as well as research and technical support would receive lower allocations.

“The allocation for medical supplies and consumables amounting to RM4.29 billion has been allocated and classified under code 080000 (Specific Programmes). These include government supply of public medical facilities of RM2.89 billion and medicinal and laboratory supplies of RM1.4 billion,” Tengku Zafrul said. 

“This is why the total allocation under code 020000 (Medical) shows a ‘reduction’ from RM14.2 billion (2020) to RM11.3 billion (2021). These details contain provisions for various areas of healthcare, including nephrology and pharmacy,” he added.

He said Putrajaya had also allocated RM24 million for the mental health, prevention of physical abuse and substance abuse programme, which some claimed had been cut by the Finance Ministry. 

In addition to that, he said,another RM420 million was allotted for the supplementary meal plan, for the daily supply of milk for students from low-income families for every school day. 

“We want our children to grow up healthy physically and mentally,” he said.

An  additional RM475 million was allocated for the supply of reagents and consumables needed in relation to Covid-19 while RM318 million will be given for the provision of personal protective equipment and hand sanitisers for front-liners.

Besides that, RM150 million will be channelled to the National Disaster Management Agency to coordinate efforts to combat Covid-19.

He added that another RM50 million will go into the procurement of equipment, laboratory test supplies and medicines at the teaching university hospitals, as well as for the procurement of additional equipment for running dental facilities, virtual clinic services, health screening zone facilities and thermometers at health facilities in compliance with the standard operating procedure.

“All the above allocations are over and above the government’s RM1.8 billion allocation this year for the implementation of the movement-control order and public health needs related to the pandemic, including the purchase of PPE, reagents and consumables,” he said. 

He added that the additional provisions under research and technical support were added under the Covid-19 fund, instead of the Health Ministry’s operating expenditure. – November 7, 2020.