Protect essential healthcare spending as budget cuts threaten cancer care in Sarawak

SCAN logo

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 9: The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) must ensure that essential areas, including medical supplies, equipment maintenance, and specialist staffing, are protected from budget cuts, particularly in Sarawak, to safeguard uninterrupted cancer care for patients who already face long distances and limited access to specialised treatment.

This comes as the proposed RM3.06 billion reduction to the MOH’s operational budget has raised concern from the Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching (SCAN), which warned that blanket cuts could disrupt treatment services and put patient lives at risk amid rising cancer cases nationwide.

SCAN president Emmy Marina Marzuki stressed that healthcare operations are essential services and should not be treated as general cost-saving measures.

“We understand the government’s need to manage a ballooning subsidy bill, now estimated at RM58.4 billion.

“However, fiscal responsibility should not come at the expense of the sick and vulnerable. While we support efforts to rationalise non-essential spending such as official events and seminars, we seek clear assurance that these savings will not be taken from clinical services that directly sustain patients’ lives,” she said in a statement yesterday (May 8).

The organisation said healthcare operational expenditure is critical, covering medicine procurement, manpower, and medical infrastructure.

It warned that cuts could disrupt pharmaceutical supply chains, potentially causing shortages of oncology drugs and targeted therapies.

SCAN also highlighted Malaysia’s growing cancer burden, with 168,823 new cases recorded between 2017 and 2021 and a lifetime risk now estimated at one in eight Malaysians.

It further noted rising pressure on oncology departments, including 16,430 breast cancer cases and more than 11,500 colorectal cancer cases in the latest reporting period.

“Further restrictions on recruitment could worsen staff burnout and extend waiting times for diagnosis and treatment,” she cautioned.

She also stressed that maintenance of radiotherapy and chemotherapy equipment falls under operational spending and is vital to ensure continuous cancer patient care.

SCAN urged the MOF and MOH to ring-fence essential healthcare components, including medical supplies, equipment upkeep, and specialist workforce expansion, from any austerity measures.

It also called for equitable funding distribution to East Malaysia, warning that disproportionate cuts could further strain already stretched healthcare facilities.

“SCAN remains open to engagement with authorities on sustainable cost-saving measures that do not compromise patient safety or treatment outcomes,” she added. — DayakDaily