Materia Medica Malaysiana

Plan to speed up treatment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry wants treatment to be provided to patients within 90 minutes of registration at general hospitals, and has engaged a consultant to propose how this can be done.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the consultant had two months to submit a report to enable the ministry to meet the stipulation in its Clients Charter of the maximum 90-minute waiting period for treatment at such hospitals.
However, he said delays in providing treatment were not only due to weaknesses in the filing system of medical records in hospitals, but also due to the attitude of patients.
“There are patients with appointments who fail to show up and others only come when it is suitable.
“Some patients also attend specialist clinics without any reference, while others are reluctant to return to their previous doctors, causing further delays,” he said after launching a blood donation campaign organised by the Balakong MCA in Cheras yesterday.
Dr Chua said many of those who sought treatment at the casualty unit also did not qualify for emergency treatment.
“There are some who come for treatment for itchy hands, diarrhoea and even normal cough,” he added.
On blood donations, he said all such donations were screened for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis before being approved for transfusion.
Dr Chua also said that the ministry wanted to increase the number of volunteer blood donors from the present 2% of the population to 5% by the next 10 to 15 years.