KUALA LUMPUR – The government is committed to enhancing internet connectivity and accessibility in public hospitals through 5G infrastructure, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said hospitals are one of seven areas prioritised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to address connectivity issues.
“We hope that more hospitals, whether public or private, will review and make use of applications and technologies that can operate with 5G speeds.
“For all government hospitals, we are working to resolve two issues – specifically, in-building coverage for mobile telecommunications. First, we address the basic issues, and second, ensure that the provision of 5G infrastructure in hospitals can be adapted to the use of applications.”
“For instance, at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in my area, there are connectivity issues on certain floors, blocks, or wards, as is the case at Serdang Hospital,” he told the media after visiting exhibition booths at the Malaysia International Healthcare (MIH) Megatrends 2024 Conference here today.
Earlier, the MIH Megatrends 2024 event, hosted in collaboration with MCMC and KPJ Healthcare, was officially opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
Also present was MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.
In addition, Fahmi noted that his ministry aims to ensure that 5G infrastructure in hospitals is compatible with application use.
“Some applications featured at MIH Megatrends, like those using hololens technology, are potentially beneficial for specialist doctors who may need to review scans or various images, such as MRIs, to analyse and determine the best approaches to healthcare and medical challenges.
“We are working to adapt both elements. When we look around at the various booths here, companies like TM One are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to assist hospitals in appointment preparations or confirmations.
“This removes the need for human calls, with AI handling this process. It’s very new, not yet widely launched, but I see it as one of the applications being showcased and hope it will be utilised by hospitals,” he said.
The Lembah Pantai MP also expressed that his ministry is doing its utmost to make 5G accessible to the people.
“Not only is it expanding, but it now covers approximately 82% of populated areas, and more than 50% of regular service users are already using it.
“The 5G network in Malaysia demonstrates its capability, with the national median download speed at 451.79 megabits per second (Mbps) – faster than neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
“Additionally, Malaysia’s 5G network achieved the highest global consistency score in the fourth quarter of 2023, at 97.3%.
“Meanwhile, the median download speed for 5G significantly increased by 20% in the third quarter of 2023, reaching 203.04 Mbps compared to 168.27 Mbps in the same period last year.”
The MIH Megatrends 2024 conference is held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from Friday until tomorrow.
The three-day event has drawn over 4,000 participants, including health professionals, industry leaders, government officials, investors, and the general public, who are exploring the latest trends shaping the future of healthcare. – October 26, 2024
