In July 2019, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham tweeted: “We are currently underfunded, understaffed, underpaid, overworked, overstretched and with facilities overcrowded with patients.” That tweet has now taken on new urgency, in light of critical care facilities and public health services collapsing beneath the weight of the pandemic. How did we get here, and how do we ensure we continue to have a working public health system that can cope with existing health issues, COVID-19, and future health threats? Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy, joins us to explore the issues with Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, Professor in Health Economics, Hospital & Health Management, UKM Medical Centre.

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