During Minister’s Question Time, Health Minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa informed the Malaysian Parliament that the implementation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system at hospitals nationwide poses a challenge due to its high cost.

Upgrading hospital infrastructure and old equipment would contribute to a budget requirement that might reach a billion ringgit, making it necessary to take into account the sustainability of buildings.

In order to fully implement the system, cooperation from the finance ministry would be required, as the cost of the system itself is another contributing factor.

She made these statements in response to a supplementary question from fellow Parliamentarian Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) who inquired about the constraints faced by the ministry in implementing the EMR system and when it could be fully integrated.

In the same discussion, Dr. Zaliha provided an update on the implementation of the Teleprimary Care — Oral Health Clinical Information System (TPC-OHCIS) system, stating that 103 health clinics have already been equipped with the system, and another 42 clinics in Negeri Sembilan will be equipped through the National EMR project. She also mentioned that there are currently 1,027 health clinics utilizing the MySejahtera application’s online appointment system, while 370 health clinics are providing virtual clinic services to their customers.

Responding to Tan Hong Pin’s original question about the current status of the EMR system implementation in hospitals and clinics nationwide, Dr. Zaliha added that the Health Ministry’s next plan is to expand all related systems more comprehensively to achieve the objective of an integrated health information system.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Straits of Malacca, the Health Ministry of Indonesia has recently released a regulation mandating the implementation of the electronic medical record system in health service facilities throughout the nation by December 31, 2023.