PUTRAJAYA, Aug 20 — A social health insurance scheme for households in the bottom 40 per cent group (B40) will be implemented beginning January next year, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said discussion on the scheme was in the final stage and would be expanded to other categories of the society, like the middle 40 per cent (M40).

The ministry, he said, was also discussing with various quarters, including Bank Negara and the Finance Ministry, on financial resources to finance the scheme before it is included in the 2019 Budget, he said.

"I want this scheme to be fined-tuned before it is tabled to the public,” he told a media conference after the ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

He said the social health insurance scheme would be different from the 1Care 1Malaysia protection plan introduced by the previous government.

Prior to this, Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye was reported to have said that under the proposed scheme, the government could provide insurance protection of between RM10,000 and RM20,000 a year per family for their hospital bills.

In another development, Dzulkefly said the ministry had instructed the Penang Health Department to investigate into claims of a practice by some specialist doctors at a hospital in the state who use Mandarin while discussing medical cases with junior colleagues, even if some were unable to understand the language, during ward rounds.

Earlier, Dzulkefly launched the MyOrtho and MyGusi mobile applications, aimed at enhancing public awareness canal root treatment to save one’s tooth from extraction.

The application can be downloaded at Google Play Store and Apple Store. — Bernama