Minister of Health Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar announced a BND646,014,050 allocation for the Ministry of Health (MoH) for the 2026/2027 financial year.
Speaking on the sixth day of the First Meet ing of the 22nd Legislative Council session, the minister revealed the theme “Sustainable Healthcare System”, emphasising prudent resource use, strengthening domestic capacity and waste reduction while maintaining high-quality and accessible care.
The minister said rising costs in medicines, technology, and facility maintenance, coupled with an ageing population and non-commu-nicable diseases, require forward-looking management.
Brunei’s health expenditure currently remains at 2.2 per cent of gross domestic product, notably lower than the four to 4.5 per cent average in neighbouring countries.
Strategic investments have yielded high-impact results, with life expectancy increasing from 77.7 years in 2019 to 79.1 years in 2024, moving towards the Brunei Vision 2035 goal of 82 years.
A major budget pressure remains Overseas Medical Treatment, with BND159.5 million requested for 2026/2027. It covers patients referred abroad and to local specialist institutions like the Specialist Centre at Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) and the Gleneagles JPMC Cardiac Centre.
To mitigate these high costs, the Minister highlighted ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and neighbouring countries to explore cost-sharing agreements.
The minister stressed that strengthening domestic tertiary care is vital to reducing reliance on overseas referrals. By developing local expertise, the healthcare system can provide more treatments within the country, easing cost pressures and benefiting families.
The MoH has updated its Healthcare Service Payment Scheme to manage public subsidies more efficiently, ensuring fairness and the optimal utilisation of the latest medical technologies.
(news source: Borneo Bulletin; pic source: Info Foto, Jabatan Penerangan)
