KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The wait times for angiogram and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures are between two and 12 months in Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
An angiogram is a diagnostic procedure that uses X-ray images to look for blockages or narrow spots in your blood vessels (arteries and veins), whereas PCI is a minimally invasive procedure to open blocked heart arteries.
Besides waiting times for heart procedures in the health service, Dzulkefly told Parliament that the wait times for radiotherapy for cancer patients are between four and 10 weeks.
“As for diagnostic and imaging procedures, the waiting times for elective cases are between two weeks and 10 months. On average, waiting times are 2.5 months for CT scans, four months for MRI, and 2.6 months for mammograms,” Dzulkefly told Senator Norhasmimi Abdul Ghani in a written Dewan Negara reply last Thursday.
“Priority for CT scan appointments is given to cancer patients in a week or two weeks at the latest, whereas the waiting time for suspected cancer cases that haven’t been confirmed through histopathology tests is between two and four weeks.”
He added that cancer cases are prioritised for elective procedures with a waiting time of between one and six weeks, whereas the waiting time for non-cancer cases is between two weeks and 13 months.
Among the surgical specialties with a long waiting time for elective procedures are cardiothoracic surgery, paediatric surgery, and urology due to a shortage of specialists compared to demand for services.
“The waiting period for patients to receive treatment at government hospitals varies depending on the type of treatment, specialty discipline, level of clinical urgency, and the current capacity of the facility. Nevertheless, all emergency and critical cases are always prioritised to receive immediate treatment,” said Dzulkefly.
He cited ongoing measures like the MOH’s Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP) to outsource government patients to private hospitals for selected procedures.
CodeBlue reported last month a “drastic restructuring” of the cardiology service at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB), the only cardiac centre in Perak, due to a doctors’ shortage that resulted in one-year appointments for all referrals to its cardiology clinic, except pregnant patients.
