PADANG BESAR, September 26 2026, The pilot Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system under the National Digital Health Ecosystem and Connectivity Driver (PERSADA) initiative has helped reduce patient waiting times at health facilities in Perlis.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said that after four months of implementation, more than 86 per cent of patients were able to see a doctor within 60 minutes, while 62.8 per cent were seen within 30 minutes.
He said the system had benefited more than 200,000 patients in the state by allowing doctors to access medical records digitally instead of waiting for physical files to be retrieved manually.
According to Fahmi, the records are stored securely in the cloud, helping to streamline doctors’ work and reduce waiting times.
He said the government plans to expand PERSADA to other states, subject to assessments of factors including internet connectivity. The system requires an internet connection of at least 100 Mbps for efficient operation.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said PERSADA would also support smoother sharing of health information and contribute towards the “One Individual, One Health Record” initiative.
Fahmi added that MCMC would strengthen cooperation between National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI) and health facilities nationwide to expand access to telehealth services, particularly for communities in rural areas.
-BERNAMA
