After-work treatment not privatisation: Chua

Sun2Surf: KUALA LUMPUR: The government yesterday defended its proposal to allow its doctors to offer after-work hours private treatment in general hospitals, saying guidelines will be set so normal service will not be compromised.
Commenting on the nationwide protest campaign by the Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation on Monday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said this proposal is not part of the privatisation process.
He said it is to help the specialists earn more money, optimise their professions and skills, and stop them from being "abused" by patients who can afford to pay for their specialised services.
Saying some non-gover nmental organisations and opposition political parties are politicising the issue, Chua explained that the country has about 10,000 government doctors and only fewer than 20 may be entitled to offer private treatment only at the Putrajaya and Selayang hospitals.
He said the move has yet to be implemented and it is still being discussed.
"Thus, it is impossible for the coalition to say the move will affect the training provided by the specialists to housemen and the quality or standard of a hospital," he said.
Chua said the ministry will also have guidelines for specialists who will be involved in the business to ensure private patients are not given priority.
He said priority will only be given based on clinical condition or specific requirements by the patients.
"There are rich people who go to the hospitals to have operations and it is reasonable to make them pay more.
"For example, a liver transplant operation will cost around RM3,000 in the Selayang Hospital.
"The same operation will cost around RM200,000 in private hospitals," he said after launching courtesy courses and training modules for the ministry's service counters.
On another matter, Chua said the ministry has received complaints from Putrajaya Hospital that VVIPs were jumping queues when they seek treatment from specialists.
It has become an annoyance to both the doctors and other patients.
Chua said hospitals have the right to deny VVIPs priority.
"Priority is only for emergency cases," he said.