Private Hospitals Should Provide Emergency Treatment To All

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) -- Private hospitals in the country were reminded Monday that they must provide immediate emergency treatment to patients without waiting for deposit payment.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said they should also communicate with the patients and their relatives during the emergency treatment.
"These aspects will be stressed in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act) (1998) (PHFA) which will be enforced from May 1," he said while answering a question from Huan Chen Guan (BN-Batu Kawan) in Parliament today.
Huan asked what were the actions to be taken by the ministry on private hospitals which refused to treat emergency-case patients who could not pay deposits before treatment.
Answering another question on hospital fees, he said the payment to private hospitals came under the "schedule fees" agreed to by the Malaysian Medical Hospital (MMA).
The disparity in hospital fees between hospitals would be resolved when the new Act was enforced which would empower the Health Ministry's Director General and the Minister to alter the "schedule fees" if they were unrealistic.
The Minister will also be empowered to decide on the nature of social contribution by the private hospitals.
"For instance, they should provide emergency treatment to poor students and discounts or exemptions to patients who cannot afford to pay," he said.