KUALA LUMPUR: The number of schizophrenia cases recorded in public hospitals have shown a rising trend over the past three years, the Health Ministry told the Dewan Rakyat, yesterday.
In a written reply to Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad, the ministry said hospital discharge figures for schizophrenia patients stood at 7,468 in 2022, 8,481 in 2023, and 8,303 in 2024.
The figures represent a 3% increase in 2022 compared with 2021, followed by a 17% increase in 2023 and a 14.6% increase in 2024.
By ethnicity, Bumiputera patients accounted for 59.1% of discharges in 2024, of which Malays made up the majority at 50.2%.
The breakdown also included Iban patients (2.3%) and Kadazan and Dusun (1.8% each). Non-Bumiputera cases stood at 38.7%, with Chinese patients making up 24.4% and Indians 5.8%.
The ministry explained that schizophrenia treatment is divided into pharmacological options such as medication, as well as continuous rehabilitation and psychosocial support, including employment assistance.
“Patients can be treated as inpatients or outpatients. Those requiring hospital admission will be monitored and treated until stable, while milder cases are managed at psychiatric specialist clinics,” the ministry said.
It added that follow-up treatment continues even after patients return home, with rehabilitation carried out through psychiatric clinics or community centres known as Mentari.
Services at these centres include home visits, injectable treatments for certain patients, community monitoring, psychosocial education for caregivers and work placement support to help patients reintegrate into society.
Currently, the Health Ministry provides mental health services through 70 hospitals, including four specialised institutions, 38 Mentari centres, a psychiatric nursing care home and more than 1,000 government health clinics nationwide.
The National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health also coordinates public mental health services and operates the HEAL 1555 counselling hotline.