PETALING JAYA, Jan 3 — The waiting time for treatment at government clinics is now down from three hours to just 30 minutes.

As reported by Utusan Malaysia, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this achievement is possible through the digital transformation initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Health within the public health sector.

“We have digitised the core services, reducing the waiting time at primary care clinics from three hours to just 30 minutes,” he was quoted as saying in a post on X yesterday.

The minister stated that the initiative began with 107 clinics in 2007, and by February this year, the number had grown to 159, reflecting an increase of 48.6 percent.

Dzulkefly emphasised his commitment to advancing the digital transformation of the public health sector, particularly government clinics, this year.

“2025 is the year of implementation, it’s time to deliver,” he said.

According to Utusan, when Dzulkefly assumed the role of Health Minister in December 2023, he committed to implementing several digital transformations within the health sector.

He explained that these efforts would focus on the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system and address spending within the sector, particularly by tackling key issues in hospitals through the introduction of targeted policies.

During a session in the Dewan Rakyat last March, he revealed that the digital transformation would encompass all health facilities nationwide over the next four to five years.

He outlined that the “one individual, one record” strategy would begin with the adoption of EMR across all participating health facilities.

The government will also conduct a comprehensive mapping study of the nation’s digital health infrastructure and enhance the current strategy to ensure faster, more efficient implementation of comprehensive, high-quality health services for the public.