Liow attacks 1 Care critics

Malaysian Insider: KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today slammed critics for manipulating Putrajaya’s controversial 1 Care proposal.
“There are certain quarters trying to manipulate the situation and trying to confuse the public by focusing on the 10 per cent salary (deduction), which is also a false figure,” Liow told a press conference following the launch of a pharmaceutical industry factbook here.
“It is totally confusing the public and furthermore it is at the very preliminary level... At the technical and discussion level, it hasn’t even come to the ministry level,” he said.
1 Care has come under fire from healthcare practitioners and the public, who claim that individuals and businesses will be forced to hand over 10 per cent of their earnings each month to the government-run insurance fund.
However, Liow dismissed this, saying: “They know very well the contribution is from three parties.”
“It is from employers, employee and government,” he explained.
“But there are certain quarters out there that are confusing the public and saying that it’s 10 per cent from the employee, which is totally wrong.”
Liow reiterated that “all discussion on 1 Care” was still at a preliminary level and that it was “premature to decide on anything”.
“So whatever concerns raised by the public we would take note,” he said.
He added that his ministry will continue to consult the public in order to “come up with a good programme for the nation”.
“It is the health of the people that we care for. So not to worry about all these details. We will definitely come back to the public.”
Asked if any action would be taken against these “manipulative quarters”, Liow said his ministry will clarify the situation and urged the public to ignore rumours.
“The true picture is that it’s just a conceptual plan and definitely we will take note of public concern,” he said.
“The 1 Care programme is an ongoing transformation for uplifting the healthcare system in the country.”
The 1 Care scheme is expected to replace the current two-tier healthcare system with one which integrates both private and government hospitals in the hope of ensuring more equitable healthcare for Malaysians of all classes.
Under the present system, patients can choose to seek treatment at either private clinics or hospitals and pay out of their own pockets or opt for government clinics or hospitals instead, where they will pay a nominal fee for basic, federally subsidised healthcare.
The ministry has assured critics that the 1 Care scheme will not burden the public with undue costs, saying that talks on the financial arrangements will be made available while discussions on their impact to the government and taxpayers were ongoing.