KUALA LUMPUR (June 3): The Ministry of Health (MoH) clarified today that ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd’s board of directors are not paid any salary or allowance.
In a statement, MoH said ProtectHealth was established as a non-profit company under the ministry to coordinate and manage initiatives related to the financing of healthcare services.
“ProtectHealth has five board members, namely Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (chairman) and Datuk Mohd Shafiq as representatives of MoH, Datin Rosni Mohd Yusoff as representative of the Ministry of Finance, and Johari Abdul Muid and Nurhisham Hussein of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) as independent board members.
“The directors of ProtectHealth do not receive any salary or monthly allowance as board directors,” the ministry stressed.
Citing a 1985 guideline on the matter, MoH said civil servants are allowed to serve as directors of government-owned companies, including as the chairman.
It added that ProtectHealth was formed to become a “strategic purchaser” to improve the quality of healthcare in the country while ensuring that healthcare costs are reasonable.
“ProtectHealth operates by running care-related initiatives and health programmes as a liaison and facilitator in public-private collaboration,” it said.
MoH said ProtectHealth also performs its duties as an administrator of the B40 Group Healthcare Scheme (PeKa B40) and electronic service provider for the Hospitalisation Surgical Scheme for Foreign Workers (SPIKPA).
It added that ProtectHealth was appointed to manage the participation of private general practitioner participation for phase two and three of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Program (PICK) to ensure greater efficiency in the implementation of the programme.
