In a statement, IJN dismissed claims that it acts independently, saying it is owned by the finance ministry and that its operations are in line with government guidelines.

IJN also noted that health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad previously emphasised the importance of discharging patients back to health ministry hospitals for follow-up care.

“This is intended to ensure that IJN can continue to accept and treat new critical and complex cases promptly,” said IJN.

“By following this government policy, IJN supports the broader strategy of optimising resource allocation across the healthcare system, ensuring that every patient receives the necessary care within a reasonable time frame.”

It said that this approach also minimises the need for patients, particularly those living outside the Klang Valley, to travel far for follow-up appointments and medication.

IJN also said its role was to cooperate with health ministry hospitals as a referral centre for heart-related cases.

Patients referred from public hospitals are only discharged when they are stable and have undergone a monitoring period, it said.

IJN was responding to a viral letter from a man named S Balagurunathan which criticised IJN’s recent policies.

Balagurunathan claimed that the hospital’s focus had shifted away from serving the public, particularly those from the lower-income group and the elderly.

He said IJN was starting to operate like a private healthcare facility with a focus on profits.

He also shared a story of a retired teacher who, after years of receiving treatment at IJN, was transferred out of the hospital due to what he claimed were cost-cutting measures.

The man said such policies contradicted the principles upon which IJN was founded, adding that it was taxpayer money that kept the institute running.