PETALING JAYA, Feb 15 — An increasing number of people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are living longer, but it does not necessarily mean that they are healthier, said health deputy director-general Datuk Dr S. Jeyaindran.

“I can put a person with kidney failure through dialysis and he will live longer but if we did not have the healthcare to provide the treatment, he would be dead.”

He also pointed out that the nation was facing a situation of “diminishing returns” which was “paying more to live longer”, adding that in this aspect, the government was trying to instil healthy living habits.

“We can only live up until a certain age before our body system breaks down and we die,” he said.

“As people live longer, more people live with NCDs and they have to put in 10 times more money to control complications such as hypertension, diabetes or cancer. But can we get the same kind of improvement of life expectancy in the next 10 to 15 years? It is difficult to answer that.”

He added that life expectancy had progressed because the country had an effective healthcare system.

Dr Jeyaindran also said credit was not only to be given to the Health Ministry, but also other environmental factors.

“Apart from healthcare, there are several other factors that influence the life expectancy as the country develops and as the demography changes,” he said.

“It’s also the combination of better food, better environment, sanitation, and when it comes to the development of the country, all these work in multiple ways to improve the healthcare system.”

All the factors combined, he said, was a reflection of the general wellbeing of the country, which in the case of Malaysia, was driven by good infrastructure and healthcare.

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia deputy president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah said the statistics that currently showed longer life was based on the lifestyles of those who lived healthy when they were younger about 30 to 40 years ago.

“Those who will have a longer life expectancy now are those who ate healthy home-cooked food four decades ago,” he said.

“The situation may not be the same 20 to 30 years from now as people are eating more unhealthy food and largely live a sedentary lifestyle, and are being diagnosed with non-communicable diseases at a younger age.”

He said the Health Ministry had also identified that healthcare costs for the elderly were expected to rise and the health budget by the government may not be sufficient in the years to come.

“They are looking for ways to introduce a national health insurance scheme as they have found that the elderly are increasingly incapable of supporting their health needs as they age,” he added.

He also said this was visible today as there has been a mushrooming of nursing homes.

“It clearly shows that incapable elderly need assistance for their daily affairs and probably cannot fend for themselves alone while their children go to work,” he said.

“Now, the young have to be constantly reminded that their health is their responsibility and not the doctors’. Once the people realise this, we will have a healthy aged population.”

General practitioner Dr Baljit Kaulsay said although Malaysians would be living longer, lives would be artificially propped up by drugs and medication.

“We will have a lot of illnesses at a younger age. Look at our diet and environment. Look at our youth’s absolute lack of exercise. Look at the screens we are glued to as well as our stress levels,” he said.

“If these points are not going to be addressed by the government, we are going to have an unhealthy ageing population.”