KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 — Bukit Gasing state assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran has demanded Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad to state whether Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) is a public hospital.
The DAP lawmaker said if the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not consider UMMC to be part of the public health care system as a service hospital, then a general hospital should be built for Petaling Jaya, a major city in Selangor.
“I would like to ask the health minister, what is his position on UMMC? Is UMMC meant to be part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) plan to provide health care to the people of PJ and also KL? Or do they consider this a niche hospital, an education hospital that is not part of the public health care programme?” Rajiv told CodeBlue.
“I think it’s time that he gives clarification on this. If this is a niche hospital in the Ministry of Health’s opinion, that is fine. It may be deemed a premium, semi-private health care service that is optional for those looking for public health care. Then I would love for him to answer – what is his plan to provide a general hospital for the people of PJ?”
UMMC, a quaternary hospital run by Universiti Malaya under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), revised the fees for all of its services effective last January 1, including steep hikes of between 150 per cent and 233 per cent for consultation and ward admission. The public university also runs a fully private hospital, UM Specialist Centre (UMSC).
Rajiv pointed out that there is no government hospital in the centre of the Klang Valley, between Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya. “What’s the plan to provide a public hospital?” he questioned.
“If the government sees UMMC as part of the public health care service, provided by the government, then this fee increase further adds salt to the wound that’s being experienced by the people of PJ, as to why the people of PJ have to pay more for public health care compared to other residents in Malaysia.
“Why do people in Klang, Kajang, Serdang, Johor Bahru, or Penang pay much less for their public health care than the people of PJ? That’s something that needs to be addressed.”
UMMC is the only government-funded hospital in Petaling Jaya. According to the OpenDOSM dashboard, the Petaling Jaya federal constituency has a population of more than 362,000 people, while the Damansara constituency has a 469,000-strong population.
There are at least a dozen private hospitals in Petaling Jaya and its vicinity in Kuala Lumpur, but not a single MOH hospital. The nearest tertiary centres under the MOH are located outside central Klang Valley, namely Selayang and Sungai Buloh Hospitals in the north, as well as Sultan Idris Shah Serdang and Putrajaya Hospitals in the south.
In a statement last Saturday, UMMC explained that it has experienced “significant” increases in the cost of advanced medical technology, and consumables and medical supplies, as well as operational costs over the years.
“We continuously invest in state-of-the-art equipment, innovative therapies, and advanced diagnostics to provide our patients with the most cutting-edge care available,” said the university hospital.
“A substantial escalation in the prices of consumables and medical supplies globally has had a considerable effect on our expenditure.
“We are committed to maintaining a safe and modern facility for our patients, students and staff, which requires ongoing investments in facility upgrades, maintenance, facility management, utilities, and ensuring compliance with the highest safety standards.”
UMMC offers various financial assistance programmes, including payment plans and options for medical, social and welfare support for underprivileged patients.
Former Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam told the government last February to decide the role of university hospitals, asking if the role of a university hospital is also to be a service hospital to its surrounding population or to act purely as a teaching hospital and research centre.
He highlighted the discrepancy in annual government funding between university and MOH hospitals, noting that Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) with about 2,300 beds gets some RM1.3 billion to RM1.5 billion, three times more than a university hospital, with over 1,600 beds, that gets federal funding of RM450 million to RM500 million.
UMMC received about RM476.8 million under Budget 2025. There is no public data on the budget allocations for various MOH hospitals.
