We are witnessing what my esteemed colleague described as a siege on the medical profession. Our seventh fee schedule, which has remained the same for the past 33 years, has not even passed the National Action Council on Cost of Living’s (Naccol) test.
However, we are being slapped with a few new regulations. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and other ministries like to micromanage the health care system.
The Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM), along with other medical bodies, feels disappointed, firstly with the MOH for failure to look into the welfare of health care workers, either in public or private.
Secondly, the new gazettement of an Order under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) under the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) to make drug price display in clinics and pharmacies compulsory continues to be hotly debated, as this practice is already in place for the public upon request.
Besides, such regulation not only burdens the clinic’s operation, but also further slows the system where patients need fast medical attention and treatment. The cost for patients also escalates.
The recent statement by the KPDN deputy minister that Naccol has mandated prescriptions and itemised billing further sees an encroachment of power to regulate health care in this scenario.
We feel Naccol has overstepped their jurisdiction in mandating instead of making recommendations. Such an instruction has no legal force; any enforcement of this matter may be deemed ultra vires.
We are suffering from this “walking dead” phenomenon. We still hope that our guardian of health care, the MOH, will come to our resuscitation.
This statement was issued by MPCAM president Dr Bhupindar Kaur.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
