Materia Medica Malaysiana

Health scheme needs royal panel

PETALING JAYA: A Royal Commission needs to be set up to get broad feedback on the proposed National Health Financing Scheme (NHFS) before it is introduced.
Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private sector leaders said it would be unfair to make Malaysians make mandatory contributions without enough information on how it would affect the people.
They said medical facilities were important to the people, but at the same time acknowledged that the RM9bil the Government spent yearly on health services imposed a heavy drain on public funds, and that the current public health system needed to be revamped.
Medical facilities registered about 47 million outpatient visits last year and 1.7 million were warded. Each patient received a 98% subsidy from public funds.
However, they said that it would be unfair to give away the RM9bil to one company or consortium to manage without being clear about what Malaysians would be getting for it, they said.
Human Rights commissioner N. Siva Subramaniam said that a commission would be able to identify the relevant health issues and determine what was good for the nation.
“It is always good to get feedback so that what is introduced in the NHFS would be acceptable to those seeking medical treatment in future,” he said.
Chairman for the debate on the NHFS and the past president of the Medico Legal Society of Malaysia S. Radhakrishanan said “because of the gravity of the medical needs and demands” a Royal Commission was needed to make a thorough study of the future medical needs.
“This will provide an opportunity for all interested persons to submit their views,” he added.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong supported the idea.
“I have a lot of poor people coming to me asking for help to settle their huge hospital bills and for this reason we must study the current system through the appointment of a Royal Commission.
“At the same time the government must charge foreigners who use our medical services,” Chong added.
Former Finance Ministry de-puty secretary-general Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said there would be social discontent if the NHFS were to go ahead without public feedback.