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Extended clinic hours didn’t ease congestion, no plans to expand: MoH | Scoop
The Health Ministry has no plans to expand the implementation of extended hours at public health clinics as it does not ease overcrowding issues. – Bernama pic, March 10, 2025
News

Extended clinic hours didn’t ease congestion, no plans to expand: MoH

Deputy minister tells Senate it did not reduce number of patients but provided more opportunity for public to access services

Scoop Reporters
Updated
2:00 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Extending operating hours at government health clinics has not alleviated congestion, prompting the Health Ministry (MoH) to reconsider the effectiveness of the initiative, Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni told the Dewan Negara today. 

The deputy health minister said that despite the implementation of extended hours (EH) at several selected clinics, congestion – particularly in the Green Zone – remains an issue. Therefore, the ministry has no plans to expand the implementation.

“The presence of patients increased even though we introduced extended hours. We found that extended hours provided more opportunities for the public to access our health services,” he said during a question and answer session in the Dewan Negara. 

The deputy minister was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Dr Lingeshwaran R. Arunasalam, who sought clarification on the impact of extended hours on congestion in emergency departments. 

Lukanisman explained that EH was first introduced in 2008 as a measure to ease overcrowding in the Green Zone of Emergency and Trauma Departments within MoH facilities. However, the strategy has not delivered the expected results, leading the ministry to reassess its suitability. 

“At present, we are studying alternative methods to address congestion in the Green Zone. Some facilities have introduced short-stay units within the Emergency Zone as a possible solution,” he added. 

Currently, 49 health clinics across the country operate under the EH scheme. These clinics generally extend their services on weekdays from 5pm to 9.30pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. 

In 2023, six of these clinics were selected for a pilot project under the Special Task Force on Agency Reform (STAR). The participating clinics include Bandar Botanik Health Clinic in Klang, Ampang Health Clinic, Taman Ehsan Health Clinic, Kuala Lumpur Health Clinic, Greentown Health Clinic in Perak, and Mahmudian Health Clinic in Johor. – March 10, 2025

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