The programme will benefit about 195,000 households, nearly half the 400,000 households in the state, with a combined monthly income of RM5,000 and below, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told the State Assembly today.
He said the benefit would be provided via an electronic card called “I Love Penang Card” with RM300 credit value, which could be redeemed at all private clinics for consultation and medicines.
He said cardholders were allowed to deduct up to RM50 per visit.
Those unmarried would get a credit of RM150, provided their incomes were below RM2,500 a month. Their cards would be capped at RM50 per visit to clinics as well.
“This will help ordinary working people who fall ill to see a doctor immediately without worrying too much about expensive charges or travelling to government clinics that are far from their homes.
“This is a serious undertaking by the Penang government despite the fact that health remains entirely under federal jurisdiction.
“This contrasts with the federal government cutting down pharmaceutical and public health supply costs by RM19 million from RM950 million in 2017 to RM931 million in 2018,” Lim said.
He also said the existing free mammogram examination for women aged 35 years and older would be continued, with RM3.2 million allocated for next year.
A total of 30,000 women were expected to undergo free mammogram by 2020.
Lim said the “I Love Penang Card” would also be used to provide existing state welfare aid recipients with the allowances.
The card would be the key to access various social amenities and benefits provided by the state government.
“The management and distribution of all government welfare programmes will be streamlined and integrated with the card. It will make lives a lot more convenient for Penangites.
“All we need in the future is to carry the card – and maybe soon a virtual card in the form of a mobile app installed on smartphones – to gain access to payments, benefits, and amenities,” he said.