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Health Minister says Hospital Visitors' Board appointments under review after Rembau screening error sparks public concern

Health Minister says Hospital Visitors' Board appointments under review after Rembau screening error sparks public concern

Malay Mail10 hours ago
SEREMBAN, July 5 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) assured that the appointment process for Hospital Visitors' Board Members (ALPH) nationwide will be reviewed, said its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said that the process will also be streamlined in terms of eligibility criteria and contributions to society, in line with the national public health policy.
'I, along with the MOH, remain committed to continuously strengthening the integrity and credibility of the national health system, including through the appointment of appropriate, credible, and principled community representatives,' he said in a statement yesterday.
He was commenting on the recent viral appointment of an individual as an ALPH Rembau, which was said to have elements of conflict of interest with current health policies advocated by the MOH.
Dr Dzulkefly confirmed that the individual was no longer serving as an ALPH Rembau and admitted that there was an error in the screening process related to the career background of the appointed candidate.
'I admit that this weakness has had a significant impact on public perception of the MOH,' he said, adding that the MOH received 2,860 nominations from various parties, including hospitals, state health exco members, and community leaders for 143 hospitals nationwide.
He clarified that every nomination submitted to him went through a screening process that considered evaluations and recommendations from their respective state representatives. — Bernama
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