Clinics run by NGOs not required to register

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Clinics and hospice services run by non-governmental bodies are not required to register themselves under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.
Other clinics qualifying for this exemption are health facilities run by factories where the doctors work on a part-time basis or are on scheduled visits, estate and offshore clinics, and those located at ports to provide emergency services.
However, these clinics and hospice centres must still write to the Health Ministry, explaining the reasons for their exemption.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the Cabinet decided to allow the exemption because most of these clinics were not profit-oriented and were also carrying out beneficial activities.
“Most of the estate clinics don’t actually have doctors serving in them while offshore clinics are located at oil platforms,” he said.
“But dialysis centres run by NGOs will still have to register themselves with the ministry because most of the kidney patients require long-term daily care.
“This is true as well for hospice centres which have hospital-like facilities and whose patients stay in,” he told reporters after hosting the ministry’s joint Hari Raya and Deepavali do here yesterday.
Under the Act, private clinics would have to register themselves or risk a fine up to RM300,000 or six years’ jail or both. The deadline for registration ran out on Oct 31.
Dr Chua said as at yesterday, some 7,350 doctors had registered their clinics with the ministry.
“This is far beyond the initial number of doctors and private clinics we had estimated earlier.
“There are also some who are still in the process of registering,” he said.
He said they would need another month to coordinate follow-up action.