Doc fight over

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The “doc fight” is over.
After a long standoff between doctors and the Health Ministry, agreement was reached on the implementation of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 and Regulations (2006) yesterday.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said he hoped that with the agreement hammered out, doctors and dentists would adhere to the provisions.
He said the ministry made some concessions after considering that there had been some changes to the healthcare sector since the Act was first mooted 13 years ago.
But the ministry stood firm on its decision to register clinics.
“All doctors must register their clinics by the end of November. There will be no postponement,” he said after a two-hour meeting yesterday between the ministry, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Dentist Association (MDA),
Failure to register could result in hefty fines of RM300,000.
The ministry also stood firm on patients’ rights. Every patient now has the right to know the expenses he might incur, especially at a hospital, for his treatment, and has an avenue for his complaints.
“He will have the right to take his grouses to the health director-general if the doctor he complains against fails to act after a month,” he said.
“But we will no longer require doctors to produce the certificate of fitness for occupancy and fire department certificate when registering their clinics. They just need to show their current assessment rate and their annual practising certificate. This is because many doctors now have clinics in shopping malls.
“Doctors also do not need two witnesses to attest to their character,” he said.
Among others, doctors do not have to adhere to provisions to submit the floor plan of their clinics with specifications relating to details such as pipes, toilets, generator sets, the requirement of a public telephone at every clinic, the reporting of social or welfare contributions to the ministry, and the submission of particulars of staff members other than doctors and dentists.
“The requirement for every medical clinic to have emergency first aid equipment, and for every doctor to perform such treatment, is relaxed for those like dermatologists and dentists,” stressed Dr Chua.
He said the ministry had also decided that a medical practitioner should head the enforcement team under the Act.
Should the health director-general refuse an application to register a clinic, he would have to give reasons for it.
The Act had been criticised by doctors who claimed that the hefty fines penalised them; provisions unfair; and that it would lead to doctors practising defensive medicine.
There are currently about 7,500 general practitioners in the country.
MMA president Datuk Dr Teoh Siang Chin said the association was pleased with the agreement , and that it was “reasonable and very encouraging.”