Patient voices: experiences of healthcare access in Asia is an Economist Impact report, commissioned by Prudential plc, examining how people across Asia experience accessing healthcare. Malaysia is part of this regional study, with a dedicated report that takes a closer look at local experiences.

The Malaysian report is called Patient voices Malaysia: making healthcare clearer and more connected. Malaysia has a dual‑track healthcare system, with a public sector that provides broad access and a private sector operating mainly in urban areas. While this model supports wide coverage, patients can still face uncertainty, delays and uneven support when trying to access care.

Study Finds 94 Per Cent of Malaysians Delay Seeking Medical Care Due to a Lack of Support

   Before care starts:

People want a sense of support, confidence and peace of mind when seeking medical care, with 37% seeking minimal disruptions
to routines.

When Malaysians feel these expectations may not be met, around 94% of have delayed seeking care.

Because it disrupts daily life, such as family obligations or work responsibilities.

Finding healthcare can be a hassle

Understanding how Malaysians make healthcare decisions, and the challenges they face along the way, helps explain why accessing care can feel difficult. Explore these experiences in more detail by downloading the full report.

What are their challenges

The top five challenges Malaysians face when seeking healthcare

How do they pay for healthcare?

Nearly six in ten respondents rely on informal ways such as family support, loans or borrowed money.

What can be done to make life better for patients? Improving primary care, raising awareness of long-term and indirect costs and improving digital health literacy of available platforms to access health is essential to meet the rising expectations of the country’s ageing population.

Click here to visit Prudential plc’s Patient voices: experiences of healthcare access in Asia report and click here to the press release.