KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- The government's initiative to fully bear the delivery cost of the Medicines by Post (UMP) service starting this month has drawn positive reactions from netizens, who say it not only saves money but also spares patients the hassle of queueing for their medication.
A check on social media found that users generally welcomed the facility. They expressed relief that the savings on delivery costs provided tangible financial relief, especially for chronic patients and the elderly who require continuous follow-up treatment.
Threads user Ms Anina (@aninawatibakarudin), who previously spent RM5.60 per delivery, said the fee waiver would lead to substantial long-term savings.
“I usually pay RM5.60 for this medicine delivery. Suddenly, the medicine arrived with this note. Alhamdulillah. Thank you, MADANI Government, thank you PMX! RM5.60 may seem small, but over 10 deliveries, it becomes RM56. And the medicine itself is already free,” she said.
Echoing her sentiments, Neeza Shafri (@nz.s_tanje), who has used the postal medicine service from Bukit Mertajam Hospital in Penang for the past six years, expressed gratitude that the government had fully waived the delivery cost.
Another user on the platform, Yi Wern (@yiwern), said the facility allows patients on long-term treatment to receive their supplies directly at home via Pos Laju.
Meanwhile, Threads user Acu Dean (@poporify) urged patients to get more information at their respective hospital or health clinic pharmacy counters and register for the UMP service for free so their medications can be delivered directly to their homes.
However, he suggested that the government consider refining the eligibility criteria by focusing on low- and middle-income groups.
The Communications Ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), allocated about RM5 million to fully sponsor the postal delivery cost for eligible patients under the Health Ministry starting Oct 1.
Following the implementation of the initiative, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil advised the public, especially the elderly, not to be duped by parties trying to impose charges or offer UMP registration services through unofficial channels.
He reminded the public that registration for the programme can only be done directly at Health Ministry facility counters without any registration fee.
The UMP service, introduced in 2011, previously charged a delivery fee of RM5.70 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM12.50 for Sabah and Sarawak.
The free national-scale initiative is expected to directly benefit about 80,000 patients every month, thereby easing congestion at government hospital and health clinic pharmacy counters nationwide.
-- BERNAMA