KUALA LUMPUR – The proposal by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) for the government to transfer non-Covid-19 patients to private healthcare facilities for a nominal fee is unrealistic, said specialists and private doctors.
On Sunday, MMA chairman Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy suggested that the government outsource acute and chronic non-Covid-19 cases to private clinics or hospitals for a token fee.
However, private clinical immunologist Dr Amir Hamzah told The Vibes that even though some consultants can waive their fees, private hospitals and clinics are still businesses with high operational costs.
If it’s a nominal fee, how much is it? The way we run things, everything is money, like it or not.
“As far as I’m concerned, there will be a negotiation on the nominal fee. It’s not as if medication is free. All that costs money.”
Dr Amir said the waived costs come from the budget that doctors have to charge patients.
“We’re not getting anything from the government for this.
“Let’s say we are not doing this for profit, and we do pro bono work. The consultants can probably waive their fees, but what about the nurses? They need to get paid, and the hospital is paying for that.
“All our equipment, who pays for that? The nominal fee must be under an agreement when we take in non-Covid-19 cases.”
He also pointed out that most private hospitals employ specialists focusing on specific fields, such as oncology, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology and psychiatry, making them not suited to treat normal cases.
Private hospitals usually do not employ as many general practitioners (GPs) as government hospitals do, or none at all, barring, perhaps, their accident and emergency department.
Similarly, a private GP, who requested anonymity, added that private doctors typically will not waive their consultation fees as the amount is their income.
“Whatever they are charging, the hospitals will take a cut; normally, around 15% to 20% of their fees will go to hospitals.
“It’s not just the patients who are the hospital’s clients. The consultants are also clients of the hospitals.”
He questioned the mechanism for the payment or nominal fee, and whether the government can provide a better national insurance policy for the B40 group so they can be treated if Putrajaya takes MMA’s recommendation seriously.
However, senior consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS has a different perspective on the role that private healthcare can play during these trying times.
Backing MMA’s call that private health institutions should play a bigger role, the retired government doctor said private hospitals and clinics should play a humanitarian position to help alleviate the stress on public hospitals.
I believe we do have to involve our private colleagues; they are a huge resource we can tap. Can we play a humanitarian role?”
Dr Amar, however, noted that it “isn’t the doctors who are going to be the problem”.
“It’s the management, the shareholders who run hospitals as a business. They’ve been making money for a long time. Why don’t they charge minimal fees and pick up the slack?”
He said government-linked health providers – such as KPJ Healthcare (owned by Johor Corp) and IHH Healthcare (partially owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund) – should also step up during this crisis.
“The government owns some private hospitals. Since we invested in buying them, surely the patients sent there shouldn’t be charged the same rate as normal private patients.
“We can solve this issue. There shouldn’t be an impasse. They (private healthcare facilities) shouldn’t charge people rates they can’t pay during this pandemic.” – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
