SKIM Peduli Sihat, a health scheme for the nation’s bottom 40% of income earners, will be launched nationwide in January after being delayed from implementation during the new government’s first 100 days, the health minister said.

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said his ministry will include allocations for the scheme in the 2019 national budget to be tabled in Parliament in November for implementation next year.

“We have been working hard with the Finance Ministry and Bank Negara to ensure we can implement it.

“Insya-Allah, we will announce in the budget in November that we will include Peduli Sihat for the B40, to be launched in January 2019, a better (plan) than in Selangor.

“We’ll fulfil our election promise,” Dzulkefly told some 800 people at Pakatan Harapan’s final ceramah for the Balakong by-election at Batu 11 in Cheras last night.

In July, the Health Ministry set up a taskforce to work on the scheme’s implementation.

The scheme, which was first implemented in Selangor under the PH-led state government, enables lower-income households to obtain medical treatment at participating private clinics.

It was one of the 10 promises PH vowed to fulfil nationwide within 100 days after capturing Putrajaya.

Dzulkefly previously said it would benefit some 2.6 million lower-income families, or 10.4 million people.

Putrajaya also plans to introduce a social insurance scheme for the the middle 40% and top 20% income earners in a later phase. – September 8, 2018.