PSM treasurer Soh Sook Hwa said the government should put a freeze on the development of private hospitals.

“Existing private hospitals can operate. However, they should not be allowed to expand.”

Soh claimed that more specialist doctors were leaving the public sector, causing a shortage of manpower in hospitals.

“According to a report in Parliament, only 30% of specialist doctors with more than five years’ experience are left in government hospitals.”

She said the development of private hospitals and health tourism was prompting more doctors to leave the public sector.

“This in turn increases the workload of doctors at public hospitals and the patients are affected because they are not getting proper care.”

Soh also said the Full Pay Patient Plan (PPBP) scheme, which has been implemented in two hospitals this year and another eight next year, will affect the quality of healthcare provided by doctors.

“Under the scheme, the doctors will be able to earn double their salary as they will be treating more patients.

“But since they will be working long hours, this will affect the quality of their work.”

Soh said PSM was urging the health ministry to have a meeting with the relevant parties before implementing the PPBP programme next year.

“As of now, 80% of specialist doctors with more than 10 years’ experience are with the private sector and those who can afford it will go to them.

“Only 20% of the specialists at government hospitals have more than 10 years’ experience.

“Why do we need to distract the doctors with the PPBP scheme?”

Major public hospitals are to implement the PPBP for patients who can afford to pay for specialist services as well as for foreigners, as part of the government’s efforts to retain specialists in the health service by allowing them to earn more.

According to the health ministry, the PPBP specialist wing scheme is being offered at the Selayang Hospital and Putrajaya Hospital.

Soh also said PSM wanted the government to give the public details on their need to implement the PPBP scheme.

“The government should review the current salary scale of specialist doctors. They should also introduce a sabbatical for each doctor with full pay every four years and to strengthen the pension scheme for specialist doctors.”