KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) said today that its member hospitals have already begun implementing medicine price display in outpatient settings.
Private general practitioners (GPs) have mostly opposed the price transparency policy by the Ministry of Health (MOH) because GP clinics rely on drug mark-ups amid stagnant consultation fees, unlike private hospitals that charge patients for nearly everything in itemised billing.
“We at APHM are proud to support the Ministry of Health in many of its new initiatives. One such initiative is the display of medicine prices, which we have begun implementing in outpatient settings within our member hospitals,” said APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh in his welcome speech at the 31st APHM International Healthcare Conference & Exhibition 2025.
He added that implementing the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) payment system, which can help keep costs manageable by standardising payments for treatment, requires accurate clinical data and a national electronic health records system.
“That data is not yet available, and its absence makes DRG implementation complex,” said Dr Kuljit.
APHM had informed the MOH and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on its keenness to contribute data and industry input for rolling out a DRG mechanism.
“We appreciate the Ministry’s openness to collaboration and its commitment to a data-driven, evidence-based rollout of the DRG,” said Dr Kuljit.
The government’s DRG proposal to manage private hospital charges has quietly fizzled out, with the MOH deciding to “pilot” DRG in select public hospitals instead to cover outpatient, sub-acute, and chronic conditions.
Dr Kuljit today also called for the speedy implementation of the new Medical Act, after its 2024 amendment was gazetted last October.
However, eight months later, the amended Act 50 has yet to come into effect as its regulations have yet to be introduced.
APHM said one key reason why Malaysian doctors trained abroad are unable to return home is because of uncertainty surrounding their registration process on the National Specialist Register (NSR) and the non-recognition of certain postgraduate qualifications from “highly reputable countries.”
“We need these doctors to come home not just to fill positions, but to bring back the valuable expertise, global exposure, and advanced training they’ve gained abroad,” said Dr Kuljit.
“APHM is encouraged by the recent initiative to amend the Medical Act, which aims to streamline these processes to bring Malaysian doctors home. We hope that it can be implemented effectively to encourage more Malaysian doctors to return and contribute to our health care system.”
APHM urged the government to look beyond short-term solutions and commit to long-term reforms that will uplift the entire health care system.
“As doctors, we know that band-aid solutions don’t heal the wound. We cannot simply apply quick fixes to quiet public dissatisfaction or because we want to maintain short-term peace. Eventually, the consequences will catch up with us and the cost will be far greater in the long run,” said Dr Kuljit.
