COMMENT | Much has been made about expanding the full-paying patient (FPP) programme in government hospitals, a solution Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad proposed to boost revenue for the Health Ministry.

The ministry already receives the second largest allocation of the federal budget, 10.5 percent of Budget 2024, but this is still insufficient to address public healthcare needs.

Although there has been both support and opposition towards FPP, research implies that more needs to be done to ensure healthcare services in public facilities remain equitable, accessible and deliverable.

Old idea, same problems?

Although being branded as the Rakan MOH programme, FPP has been introduced in public hospitals since 2007 to help...