Find out charges before getting treatment, public told

Star: PETALING JAYA: Ask what the charges are before going ahead with treatment – that is the advice given by the Health Ministry director-general to the public to ensure that they can afford the treatment.
“If you go to a private hospital, ask them what the charge is for treating the disease or illness,” Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican told reporters yesterday after launching the National Kidney Foundation LifeCheck Mobile Health Screening Unit.
“If you cannot pay, go to a public hospital.”
However, Dr Ismail added that private hospitals must treat emergency cases if they were brought to their establishments.
“It is not a case of ask for money and treat later. They must provide first-line treatment,” he said.
He said the ministry monitored charges by private health facilities according to a fee schedule and investigated complaints.
Action would be taken if the charges were found to be too exorbitant, he said.
Dr Ismail also said the ministry had been stepping up its healthy lifestyle and prevention campaigns to ensure that those in rural areas received information on how to remain healthy.
“The campaign has been quite good but those in the rural areas may still not be aware of it while those in urban areas already have the information,” he said.
Dr Ismail also took to task Malaysians who did not like to exercise and preferred to use the elevator to go from one floor to another.
“Those who do not eat properly and do not exercise are bound to grow larger. And once they are obese, it is inevitable for them to get diseases like diabetes, hypertension, chronic heart disease and stroke,” he said.