THE Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) held a virtual meeting today with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to introduce its new exco members and to discuss the way forward on various issues in the healthcare system. Among the main concerns discussed during the meeting were issues affecting young doctors, the ongoing pandemic, and the increasing healthcare costs in the country.
In the meeting, MMA presented solutions to a number of issues affecting both public and private healthcare. The contract system for doctors, pay grades, and on-call payments as well as frozen annual leaves were among the issues in public healthcare that were discussed, while general practitioners’ seventh fee schedule, managed care organisations/third-party administrators and GPs’ pandemic preparedness were among issues in private healthcare that were brought up.
In the presentation, MMA also proposed that a health commission be set up to look into urgent matters such as human resources in public healthcare, infrastructure, and procurement.
“MMA wishes to thank the health minister for taking the time to meet with us on the many issues affecting the delivery of healthcare in the country. The health minister agrees that there is a need for reforms in our healthcare system and we are pleased that he is already embarking on the process,” said MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai.
Recognising that healthcare reforms are also a priority for the MMA, the association affirmed that it will work together with the health minister and the Health Ministry towards reaching its aims.
The meeting also discussed adopting collaborative approaches and the concept of shared responsibility between public and private healthcare in the healthcare management of the nation.
In the meeting, the health minister acknowledged the important role of GPs in pandemic preparedness going forward as Malaysia transitions into the endemic phase. He also took note of the long-standing issues GPs are encountering with managed care organisations and the need to urgently resolve the matter. – The Vibes, September 27, 2021
