Malaysia’s RM650 million digital health overhaul promises one unified medical record and drone deliveries
PETALING JAYA: The government will roll out a RM650 million digital health initiative to provide seamless internet connectivity and digital access to all public hospitals and clinics nationwide, including rural and remote areas, by the first quarter of 2027.
The initiative, known as the National Digital Health Ecosystem and Connectivity Catalyst (Persada), was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Health Ministry (MOH) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad described the initiative as a defining shift in healthcare delivery, marking the end of paper-based systems and accelerating full digitalisation of medical services.
“Digitalisation is no longer an option or merely a supporting tool. It is now the backbone of healthcare reform in Malaysia,” he said.
At the core of the initiative is the vision of “One Individual, One Health Record”, enabling secure, nationwide access to patients’ medical records across facilities.
Dzulkefly said the system would strengthen continuity of care, enable data-driven clinical decisions, and support disease prediction and precision medicine through large-scale health data analytics.
As of April 2026, 4.21 million people had been registered in the digital ecosystem, with more than 22.41 million transactions recorded, averaging 75,000 daily.
He said 80% of patients now receive treatment within an hour, while 63% wait under 30 minutes, with digitalisation also reducing administrative workload and increasing patient-facing time for healthcare workers.
Persada will focus on upgrading broadband infrastructure, expanding electronic medical records, enhancing telehealth via MCMC’s National Information Dissemination Centres (Nadi), and introducing drone-based medical deliveries to hard-to-reach areas.
The programme covers 150 hospitals and 2,488 clinics nationwide. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the first phase is valued at RM74 million, while the overall programme stands at RM650 million.
He also said the government is reviewing a nationwide medicine delivery system under Ubat Melalui Pos, which could be fully government-funded, eliminating delivery charges for patients. Around 80,000 patients currently use the service monthly, with nationwide rollout expected as early as July.
