Siti Mariah Mahmud (Amanah-Kota Raja) alledged that these civil servants are “running their offices like a cartel” and this has resulted in it becoming a “gold mine” for them.
“The complaint is not from one person but several people,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The original question posed in the House was on the efforts and studies done by the health ministry towards providing more effective kidney dialysis services and reducing the treatment costs.
According to Siti Mariah the main complaints she has received on the issue is that private companies are unable to renew their licence or have to wait for a long time to get the operating licence renewed.
“The privately-run dialysis centres are frustrated with the problems they face in renewing their licence. The health ministry staff have to visit the site before the operating licence can be renewed.
“The problem is they (the private companies) are unable to set any appointment with the government staff concerned. The companies are told by the staff that it is very difficult to come over for a visit,” she said.
“As a result, some say several centres are running without getting their licence renewed.”
Siti Mariah also said that a doctor had set up a private dialysis centre but had to sell off his business after failing to get an operating licence.
“He waited for a year, then sold off his business to another doctor. He could no longer pay the rental for the premise,” she said.
Siti Mariah then urged the health ministry to look into the matter as the ministry had said they need the private sector’s support to provide dialysis treatment for kidney patients.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the ministry will investigate the accusations raised.
“It is a serious accusation, about ‘cartel’ and hard to get licences. Also, that some dialysis centres are operating without a licence.
“We will probe into the matter,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier, when addressing the House, Hilmi said there are about 40,000 Malaysians receiving haemodialysis treatment and the number increases by 6,000 to 7,000 people every year.