IHH Healthcare, MMA, and Monash University Malaysia partner to strengthen GP-specialist care

Focus areas include diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular health, and emergency care.

IHH Healthcare Malaysia, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Monash University Malaysia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists to improve continuity of patient care.

Under the MoU, the three organisations will develop training programmes for GPs and healthcare professionals through micro-credentials, professional certificates, graduate certificates and postgraduate diploma programmes.

The programmes will focus on diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular health and emergency care.

As per the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023, about 29.2% of adults have hypertension, 15.6% have diabetes and 54.4% are overweight or obese, highlighting the need for stronger primary care and coordinated long-term disease management.

The partnership will also explore improvements to GP-to-specialist referral pathways, chronic disease management, research and digital health to improve care coordination across healthcare settings.

IHH Healthcare Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Dr Kamal Amzan said referrals should ensure continuity of care rather than mark the start of a new treatment process.

“It is an act of trust,” he said. “When a GP refers a patient to a specialist, the patient must feel that their care is being carried forward, not restarted.”

MMA President Datuk Dr R. Thirunavukarasu said the collaboration aims to strengthen continuity of care by equipping GPs with additional skills and improving coordination between healthcare providers.

Meanwhile, Monash University Malaysia's Head of the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Brigadier General Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Arshil Moideen (Rtd), said the partnership would support structured training for frontline doctors whilst helping strengthen primary care and reduce pressure on tertiary healthcare services. “Addressing acute medical care, effective preventive measures and high-quality clinical management of communicable and non-communicable diseases requires a robust primary care defence.”