Number of public and private hospitals in Malaysia 2017-2022

In 2022, there were 148 government hospitals and 207 private licensed hospitals in Malaysia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian hospitals were prepared by the government to accommodate infected patients by increasing bed numbers. Although the country has now entered the post-COVID time, the pandemic had an impact on the healthcare system.

COVID-19 hospitals

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, many of public and private hospitals provide screenings for coronavirus. However, these are paid services. Only the high-risk groups such as elderly population who live in a nursing home and healthcare workers were provided free COVID-19 tests by the government. About 59 hospitals that are owned by the Ministry of Health handled patients under investigation (PU) and suspected positive COVID-19 cases. In July 2020, these hospitals prepared over 400 beds in the in the intensive care unit (ICU) and an additional thousand-odd ventilators for COVID-19 patients exclusively. With the availability of vaccination against the disease, the number of patients significantly decreased. As of March 2022, around 80 percent of Malaysian population have been vaccinated.

Digitalization of patient records

In 2019, the Ministry of Health announced a plan to use electronic medical record (EMR) systems across all hospitals and clinics nationwide. The digitalization of patient records would then provide ease the healthcare processes. Just like in most countries, the pandemic has also accelerated the digital evolution demand in Malaysia. To achieve this goal, the government has also improved connectivity and bandwidth infrastructure across the country. In 2019, Malaysia had a digital readiness index of 14.31 out of 25, putting it in the Accelerate Stage. In comparison, neighboring Singapore has made progress in its e-government strategy with a head start in 2011.