KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The National Heart Institute (IJN) has justified its proposal to raise fees for patients referred by the Ministry of Health (MOH) by between 10 per cent and 40 per cent.
The top cardiac centre owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc.) cited rising operational costs and pointed out that its fee structure has been fixed at the same rate for more than two decades since 2003.
“This adjustment is critical to ensuring that IJN continues to deliver high quality, affordable cardiac care, while meeting the growing demand for advanced medical services,” IJN said in a statement today.
IJN added that it welcomed the MOH’s call for a discussion with IJN on the matter.
“Our goal remains to strike a balance between maintaining cost-efficiency and sustaining our long-standing mission of serving the Malaysian community. We are optimistic that the outcome of the discussions with MOH will be mutually beneficial, safeguarding the affordability of our services for the public, while allowing us to cover escalating costs and continue enhancing the quality of care,” said IJN.
“Ultimately, IJN’s priority is the health and welfare of Malaysian heart patients, and we are committed to working with MOH to ensure that they continue to receive the best possible care at a fair and sustainable cost.”
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni told reporters last Monday that IJN’s proposed fee increase of up to 40 per cent for government patients would impact the MOH.
IJN Holdings group chief executive officer Prof Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib recently said costs have increased over the years with the expansion of the cardiac hospital and its workforce.
IJN is also planning to expand its facility at Jalan Tun Razak with another block and diversify into non-cardiovascular services, such as building a new stroke centre.
Dr Ezani added that IJN has discharged approximately 4,000 public patients covered by the MOH so far this year from outpatient services, amid the government’s cost-cutting exercise.
