In the Dewan Rakyat today, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching brought up the allegations of government hospital doctors referring patients for treatment to medical facilities outside, faulty machines left in a state of disrepair as well as the current practice of reusing single-use medical devices.
She said one of the biggest complaints she received from patients of government hospitals was the lack of reagents to conduct medical tests.
“I have heard so many complaints of insufficient reagents in hospitals to conduct tests. At the end of last year, we heard many government hospitals admitting they did not have sufficient reagents to conduct blood tests.
“I have received complaints from Hospital Sultan Ismail in Johor that one patient went there on Aug 7 but there was no reagent to do a test. This was just seven months into the year and the issue has crept up again.
“I have heard complaints that many reagents are unavailable. I can show the minister the chemical report from the hospital.
“The patients were told that if they wanted the tests done fast, they could go to private hospitals to do these blood tests,” she said during the debate on the Private Aged Healthcare Facilities and Services Bill 2017.
Earlier this week, FMT reported that an unnamed doctor in Negeri Sembilan had claimed that government hospitals and clinics in the state had been given a small supply of reagents and had to wait for additional funding, which was expected to take a few more months, before more could be given.
Yesterday, FMT reported that government hospitals often reused single-use medical devices.
“I am happy with the quick response from the ministry, which said this had been the practice for a long time in Malaysia and in other countries.
“This, however, is only one of the issues raised in the FMT report. The ministry must address the others as well.”
Teo said she received another complaint about a senior citizen who regularly received treatment from Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) but was asked to go to Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) instead for treatment.
“The patient was told to go to IJN for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The government hospital has valves but they are not suitable for the elderly as they only have standard aortic valves.
“The patient will have to pay RM150,000 for the treatment at IJN. As a senior citizen, is this fair? I’m asking for an explanation from the ministry as this is one of the cases that I have received.”
She said Kuala Kubu Baru state assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong had also referred to her a similar case.
“The government hospital told this patient it will not be able to prepare a referral letter for the patient. With that referral letter, this patient could have received subsidised treatment at IJN.
“I hope in the 2018 Budget that is to be tabled by Prime Minister Najib Razak tomorrow, the health and education ministries will receive increased funding.
“These two ministries should get an additional budget as they are very important ministries.”
GST, cost of living see more people choosing govt healthcare