[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) spent a total of RM2.8 million to provide drug treatment or to quit smoking to 9,222 smokers last year, said its minister Datuk Seri, Dr. Adham Baba.
He said the number showed an increase in spending compared to the RM2 million spent the previous year to treat 12,640 smokers.
“Total spending has risen to 2.8 million ringgit in 2019 even though the number of people receiving the treatment has dropped to 9,222 people, due to the increase in drug prices,” he said.
“Smoking cessation treatment is a drug treatment that involves two types of medications, namely, nicotine replacement therapy that includes nicotine patches and nicotine gum, as well as non-nicotine replacement therapy,” he said. during the question and answer session at Dewan Rakyat today.
Dr. Adham said this in his response to a question from Datuk Seri Dr. Mujahid Yusof Rawa (PH-Parit Buntar) who wanted the Minister of Health to declare the amount supported by the Ministry of Health for smoking cessation programs as the mQuit and the extent of its effectiveness. .
He said that the Ministry of Health had also implemented an initiative in the framework of a public-private partnership with professional bodies, non-governmental organizations and private agencies in the smoking cessation program, mQuit.
“Phase one of mQuit began in 2015 to 2017, followed by the second phase, from 2017 to 2020 and will enter the third phase from 2021 to 2025 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health. The financial allocation to carry out all the activities in each phase is the responsibility of these professional bodies.
“The number of smokers who signed up for smoking cessation treatment increased from 10,240 people in 2017 to 22,601 people in 2019,” he said.
Dr. Adham said that through the program’s promotions during the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 3,442 people had signed up through the Jomquit website from January 1 to October 21, compared to 1,678. registered smokers for 2019.
He said that of the total registered in 2020, 3,254 people or 95 percent were registered during the implementation period of the Movement Control Order (MCO) as of March 18, he said. – Called
[ad_2]
