Cabinet Orders Private Hospitals To Give Emergency Treatment

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- All private hospitals must give emergency treatment to patients in need, failing which the Health Ministry will either suspend or revoke their licences.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said this directive came from the Cabinet during its weekly meeting, Wednesday.
Many complaints had been received on the failure of private hospitals to give emergency treatment and some patients had died as a result, he said.
He cited the latest case that happened two days ago when a private hospital in Cheras did not give emergency treatment to a 17-year-old youth who was stabbed because the deposit had not been paid.
"They waited until his relatives came with enough deposit before giving him the treatment but the youth died before he could be saved," he told reporters after opening the 10th Asian Research Symposium on Rhinology, here Wednesday.
Expressing regret over the incident, Dr Chua said private hospitals should understand that during emergencies, no patients could afford to provide enough deposits.
They should give emergency treatment first and settle the issue of payment later, he said.
It was the responsibility of any hospital or doctor to give treatment in an emergency, he said. "So, the Cabinet today decided that hospitals that refuse to give emergency treatment will have their licences revoked."
He said the Health Ministry would issue a set of guidelines and definition of "emergency treatment" to all private hospitals soon so that disputes would not arise on the definition.
"If the private hospitals neglect their responsibility, the Health Director-General can suspend or revoke their licences," he said.
The power of the Health Director-General to suspend or revoke the licences of private hospitals is contained in the Private Hospitals Act 1971.
Dr Chua said investigations were being carried out on complaints against private hospitals that had neglected their responsibility to give emergency treatment.
He refused to name the hospitals.