More Govt Contract Doctors To Be Made Permanent Higher Gp Consultation Fees

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BUDGET 2026 | Putrajaya is proposing a slew of significant improvements to the medical sector, including an increase in the number of government medical officers and consultation fees for private clinics under Budget 2026.
ADSPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in tabling the bill, said the government has agreed to approve 4,500 more permanent positions for government contract doctors next year.
This is on top of the 1,500 permanent positions that have been opened between 2023 and this year.
On consultation fees for private general practitioners, Anwar said the government had considered the fact that the rate was last revised in 2006 and the need to maintain affordability for the rakyat.
"The government has agreed to revise the range of consultation fees to between RM10 and RM80, compared to the previous range of between RM10 and RM35.
"This would allow for greater flexibility in line with the level of services provided, while maintaining a minimum rate that does not burden the people," he said.
Government doctors' on-call allowance, which has not been revised since 2011, would also be increased by about 40 percent.
Anwar said the initiative, which comes into effect this month, would incur an additional RM120 million for the government.
Hospital overcrowding
In an aim to ease overcrowding at government hospitals, Putrajaya plans to begin the construction of several new facilities and add more blocks to existing ones next year.
The new facilities include a cancer centre for the northern region in Kedah, Sabah Heart Centre at the Queen Elizabeth 2 Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, and 13 new health clinics, including one each in Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah.
Pontian Hospital in Johor, Banting Hospital and Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor will be among those to get new building blocks.
Anwar said they would also speed up the establishment of a cancer centre in Kuching, Sarawak and at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor.
ADS"To reduce the dependency on public hospitals, the role of health clinics would be enhanced through a budget of RM30 million to provide specialist services," he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Health insurance
Putrajaya is increasing tax reliefs to address medical inflation problems by encouraging the rakyat to secure a health insurance policy.
They include widening the individual income tax exemption - up to RM3,000 - to cover life insurance premiums for children.
Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributors will be allowed to use their savings in the Sejahtera Account to subscribe to basic medical and health insurance or takaful plans.
Private hospitals would also be allowed to set up a Hospital Welfare Fund to encourage them to assist patients who lack financial capabilities.
The fund's income would be exempted from tax, while contributors are also eligible for tax deductions, Anwar said. - Mkini

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