RTD defends e-Kesihatan scheme

Sun2Surf: PUTRAJAYA (Sept 13, 2007): The Road Transport Department today defended its e-Kesihatan scheme, saying it creates a much-needed database of commercial drivers and uses the same paperless concept as e-Insurance and e-Ownership scheme.
The department’s deputy director-general Solah Mat Hassan said the scheme makes data collection more efficient by using only one channel to deliver the data, unlike previously when the data came from multiple channels.
Currently, all commercial vehicle drivers have to undergo annual health checks to renew their licences. Under the new system, they continue to do this, but with panel clinics registered by an appointed company, Supremme System Sdn Bhd, which functions as a gateway provider to prepare the online infrastructure to collect the health data of the drivers for the RTD.
Solah said the RTD had consulted the Health Ministry before implementing the scheme and the company was appointed by the Transport Ministry.
"I am not happy with news reports saying the company is not legit. (By implementing the scheme) we just want to ensure the safety of the passengers and road users is protected. We have a set of criteria for clinics that want to participate under the scheme and we will ensure that the clinics meet the requirement," he said in a press conference today.
The criteria required doctors to have an annual practicing certificate, a registered certificate with the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, a clinic with computers, printer and internet facilities, a professional indemnity insurance, clinic that operates eight hours a day and five days a week, sign the service agreement and abide by the health check procedure of e-Kesihatan, and paid (one-off) RM100 to the company for registration and agreement stamp duty.
Solah also said the scheme has standardised the health check fee at RM80, which includes RM25-RM30 for seven lab tests, RM35-RM45 for doctor fees, RM8 for the company and RM2 for postal fees.
He said so far, 611 clinics have registered under the scheme. Registration is still open.
On the Malaysian Medical Association's opposition to the scheme, Solah said the department had held a discussion with MMA in 2005 to appoint the association as the scheme’s technical adviser. But the scheme was put on hold and is only being implemented now.
"We wrote to the MMA on Sept 11, a day after we made the announcement, that we were willing to work with them on the scheme," he said.
Solah said the scheme will start on Oct 1 and Form L8 for the drivers’ health check will no longer be used.
The MMA had also fiercly opposed the Fomema scheme which also registered panel doctors to conduct medical tests on foreign workers entering the country. "However it was too late to make amends as it was already at the late stages when we found out about it," said MMA chairperson for private practitioners sector Dr S.R. Manalan.
"We had learnt from this and from the numerous problems posed by the Fomema scheme," he said. There should be more transparency and MMA should be consulted, he added.
MMA has called upon all doctors, members and non-members, not to register under the new scheme. It's president Datuk Dr Khoo Kah Lin said the association was not against e-Kesihatan is opposing the manner in which it is being conducted.
Manalan said there are many ethical issues which need to be considered among a host of other problems that can crop up.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) said while it supported the idea of a streamlined monitoring system for public vehicle drivers, drivers will now have to fork out more than eight times more for medical checks under the new scheme. Drivers currently pay RM10 for their medical tests.