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E-government to e-scam – Kong Choy should publicly justify e-Kesihatan

Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy should fully explain the second scandal since he became Transport Minister — the e-Kesihatan scandal which is also the latest example of e-government in Malaysia degenerating into e-scams.

The first scandal during Chan’s stewardship as Transport Minister is the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) bailout scandal, for which a full and proper accounting has still to be furnished by him.

Although the Cabinet on Wednesday decided to postpone the eKesihatan health screening of commercial drivers to enable the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to co-ordinate the implementation of the programme, what are exactly the implications of the Cabinet decision.

Does it mean that the RM450 million 15-year eKesihatan middleman concession to centralize the health screening of commercial drivers, scheduled to begin on Oct. 1, had been merely postponed with the monopoly position of Supremme Systems Sdn. Bhd. basically unaffected or could the whole concession monopoly be scrapped?

And in the latter, would Supremme Systems be compensated a substantial amount resulting in a “heads I will, tail you lose” situation for the company at the expense of the taxpayers, as had happened in the past like the Johore Baru crooked half-bridge cancellation, where the contractor Gerbang Perdana Sdn. Bhd had been paid compensation of RM257.4 million, although the government had earlier computed a RM100 million compensation!

Chan should make public the full details of the eKesihatan contract which had been signed between the Road Transport Department and Suprmme Systems Sdn. Bhd, whether the Transport Ministry had fully committed the government to compensate Supremme Systems for delays in implementing the eKesihatan scheme, like the postponement decided by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

After the shocking disclosures of pervasive mismanagement of public funds in the 2006 Auditor-General’s Report and the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal caused by the Transport Minister unlawfully committing the government to stand guarantee for RM4 billion bonds issued by a private company developing the PKFZ, Malaysians are entitled to demand higher standards of accountability to avoid repetition of the same mistakes in the Transport Ministry and the continued mismanagement of public funds. Continue reading “E-government to e-scam – Kong Choy should publicly justify e-Kesihatan”

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2nd Kong Choy scandal – suspend RM450-RM500 million e-Kesihatan middlemen rent-seeking scam

The week-long controversy over the e-kesihatan scheme has created more doubts and confusion, with the public presented with a plethora of conflicting accounts while the Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy emerged from the controversy in a very sorry and worst possible light.

From the present RM10 payment for renewal of public service vehicle (PSV), goods driving licence (GDL) and conductor licence (KON) holders, the Road Transport Department is to introduce a new mandatory health screening scheme beginning on Oct. 1 which would cost RM80 a year for a million commercial drivers.

In the latest revised figures in the Sun today, Datuk Nordin Yahaya, the executive director of Supremme Systems Sdn. Bhd, the concessionaire awarded the monopoly for this scheme, claims that of the RM80, the company gets RM8 and Pos Malaysia RM2, while RM10 is for operating costs, RM35 go to the doctors and RM25 to laboratories.

Only three days earlier on Sunday, Nordin had given different breakdowns — i.e. doctors paid between RM35 and RM45, laboratories between RM25 and RM35, Post Malaysia RM2 and Supreme Systems Sdn. Bhd between RM8 and RM10.

These figures have been disputed by the Koperasi Doktor Malaysia Bhd chairman Dr. J. S. Deo who said that the laboratory tests for the e-Kesihatan screening cost less than RM7, and not between RM25 and RM35 as claimed by Nordin earlier. Continue reading “2nd Kong Choy scandal – suspend RM450-RM500 million e-Kesihatan middlemen rent-seeking scam”

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Rubella outbreak in Klang Valley?

An email from CL that there is a rubella outbreak in the Klang Valley which has been blacked out so as not to spoil the Merdeka anniversary celebrations.

Can the authorities in particular the Health Minister and the University of Malaya Vice Chancellor respond?

CL’s email:

There is an outbreak of rubella in the Klang Valley and possibly nationwide as well. Apparently this had been going on for the past two months but the power-that-be has chose to keep the news blacked out because of the impending 50th anniversary Merdeka celebration. The outbreak also occurred in the UM campus and the recently concluded convocation was almost marred. News of the outbreak in the campus only came out lately, in fact only a few days back. It is not immediately known how many students had been infected to date. However, official news of the outbreak has caused anger and anxiety among the “warga kampus”. Continue reading “Rubella outbreak in Klang Valley?”

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A Healthy Population, a Prosperous Nation

The increased privatization of the health sector has resulted in the shift of health-related expenditures and risks from the society at large to that of the individual level. While it may be argued that it is proper for any person to bear a fair share of her medical expenditures, the shift in the sharing of such costs and risks has resulted in inequitable access of adequate healthcare to certain groups within the society.

The paradox arises when those who can best afford healthcare are ones who need healthcare the least; it is the poor who can least afford to live in a healthy environment (e.g. lack of proper sanitation) and a healthy lifestyle (e.g. good nutrition).

There should be increased public funding and investment in improving the standard of the public health sector by increasing the RM10.7 billion allocation in 2008 Budget or 8.3% of total estimates to at least 10% or RM12.8 billion.

One of the key mechanisms to keep medical inflation in check is to “right-site” healthcare. Thus, there needs to be a major paradigm shift from a near absolute focus on provision of medical care to one which minimises the need for costly medical interventions.

Good health requires more than just access to quality and affordable medical care. Research has convincingly shown that medical care has played a less important role than other factors in improving health in countries like the UK. Healthy lifestyles play a bigger role than medical care in achieving good health.

The Ministry of Health should do this by enhancing health promotion and education as well as disease prevention capabilities, carrying out health education and promotion initiatives like a National Healthy Lifestyle Programme, National “No to Smoking” Campaign, Nutrition Programme and a School Health Programme.

In line with the special salary readjustment for the police force on top of the revision of the civil service pay recently, the DAP proposes a 20% additional increment for all doctors serving in government service, and an additional 10% increment for all support stuff such as nurses and pharmacists.

This forms a necessary step to incentivise doctors who are currently in service and attract more young doctors to service in government hospitals, at least for the initial years.

The medical profession in Malaysia are certainly one of the most poorly paid medical professionals in the region, resulting in many qualified Malaysian doctors seeking greener pastures overseas where they are in demand. At the same time, low wages compromises our healthcare system with sub-standard doctors recruited from many Third World countries. Continue reading “A Healthy Population, a Prosperous Nation”

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E-kesihatan – another parasitic rent-seeking monopoly?

The medical profession is up in arms against the latest e-Kesihatan scheme which was officially announced by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) deputy director-general Solah Mat Hassan yesterday, requiring drivers of commercial vehicles from next month to pass a medical test done at clinics appointed by an associate company of Fomema Sdn. Bhd, Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd.

Supremme Systems Sdn. Bhd has been awarded a monopoly to carry out such medical tests which would enable it to make profits in the region of hundreds of millions of ringgit in the 15-year monopoly awarded by the Transport Ministry.

This appears to be the latest example of a parasitic rent-seeking rip-off at the expense of the public as there is already a system in place to provide medical tests for commercial drivers involving medical practitioners with the JPJ directly, which can be further improved to deal with abuses or weaknesses instead of creating a new system which is more rent-seeking in nature than entrepreneurial.

I have received an email from an infuriated medical practitioner on the letter of registration sent by Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Pantai Holding Sdn Bhd to primarycare doctors in the Klang Valley to pay RM100.00 as registration fee and requesting particulars of each clinic.

The letter states that to participate in the medical examination of Goods Drivers Licence (GDL) and Public Service Vehicle (PSC) licence renewal annually by commercial vehicle drivers, the private doctors must use their ICT. This letter demands reply and payment within 10 days. Continue reading “E-kesihatan – another parasitic rent-seeking monopoly?”

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Loss of baby’s left forearm – Did Klang General Hospital have the expertise?

by MONACHORUM

I refer to your recent report regarding the sad loss of Baby Yok Shan’s left arm following an antibiotic infusion into the premature baby’s limb that went wrong.

Pictures and follow-up reports of the baby’s condition and arm were published nationwide. It was obvious that the left forearm was gangrenous with the margins showing features of acute infection.

As reported this could have been the result of an intravenous infusion that extravasated at the level of the elbow causing compartment syndrome, cutting off blood supply further down the forearm, giving rise to the gangrene and subsequent infection.

Alternatively, it could also be possible that the doctor who inserted the IV, could have done so directly into the brachial artery which is the main artery that supplies the forearm. An injection such as vancomycin into this artery could result in disastrous circumstances including obvious shut-off of blood supply and death of tissues that this artery supplies.

A remote and far more unusual way of inflicting infection would be to actually insert the IV needle intraosseously (into the bone) also at the level of the elbow which will result in infection of the bone or rarely pulmonary embolism transmitted via the marrow. Gangrene is an unusual occurrence.

It was reported that the findings of a committee formed to look into the mishap found that the gangrene was the result of an injection given by an unsupervised house-officer and a pediatrician who was consulted only by phone which is not unusual if the pediatrician had been on-call too frequently. Continue reading “Loss of baby’s left forearm – Did Klang General Hospital have the expertise?”

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Baby Yok Shan tragedy – 50th Merdeka reminder of plunge in public service standards/accountability

Newspaper headlines today like “Baby’s blackened arm removed — Procedure on Yok Shan over in 10 minutes” (The Star), “Tangan bayi tersalah suntuk tertanggal sendiri” (Mingguan Malaysia), “ORDEAL — BABY YOK SHAN LOSES HER LEFT FOREARM” (New Sunday Times) and “Tangan bayi salah suntuk dipotong” (Berita Minggu) highlight another tragic case to remind Malaysians that despite all the glitter and extravangza of the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations, public service standards and accountability have fallen to a new low in 50 years.

Health Minister, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek should present a Ministerial statement in Parliament tomorrow on the outrageous case of five-week-old baby Lai Yok Shan who lost her left forearm from below the elbow because of medical negligence at the Tengku Ampuan Rahiman Hospital in Klang.

Lai’s parents, her father Lai Kian Khee, 24 and mother Nur Tuemthong, were told on National Day eve that Yok Shan will undergo an operation expected to last from two to four hours on Sept 1 – a day after 50th Merdeka National Day – to amputate her left arm, but in actual fact, no amputation was needed as the blackened arm came off when the orthopaedic surgeon lifted and turned it.

This showed how little the panel of medical specialists knew about Yok Shan’s condition despite all the hullabaloo about its establishment to treat the baby girl!

Chua should honour his public promise that “there will be no cover up and all will be transparent” into the negligence resulting in the Yok Shan losing her left forearm. Continue reading “Baby Yok Shan tragedy – 50th Merdeka reminder of plunge in public service standards/accountability”

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Can civil servants utilise government facilities for personal profit?

by Milton Combe

As leader of the opposition and a lawyer I would like to bring to your attention and query some incredible policy changes implemented overnight by the current Health Minister who appears to have a penchant for running roughshod of this country’s laws.

The Health Minister recently made a decision in allowing its specialists at the Putrajaya and Selayang hospitals to charge patients private sector fees. The primary reason of this policy appears to be to enable such specialists to remain in government service instead of opting for private practice for financial reasons. No doubt efforts must be made to ensure the continual presence of senior specialists in government service to enable tax payers the benefit of proper treatment in especially these trying times of declining medical standards. But is this modus operandi legal? These changes appear to have the support of the MCA’s Star columnist V.K. Chin who is notorious for his writings of skewed wisdom on many topics just so it pleases his political masters although they may defy logic. But we cannot blame V.K. Chin as his very existence depends on advocating such articles which unfortunate readers of the Star have to sometimes endure.

1. Unlike private hospitals which are built and managed through private financial initiatives, public hospitals are built with public funds sourced via income tax, etc. Is it lawful for government doctors who are civil servants to charge or profit using such facilities without undergoing a corporatisation exercise like TNB, Telekom, Klang Port Authority etc that is usually endorsed by our courts and advertised accordingly in the newspapers after of course the whole exercise is agreed upon in parliament and an Act passed? This is a dangerous legal precedent. If by all means policy makers feel that this is the way our specialists or skilled staff need to be rewarded then indeed this is what needs to be done. Which will then bring into question how is it the other GLCs took the right legal steps to privatization but the Health Minister, who is known for his lack of tolerance for “illegal” clinics but instead promotes traditional medicine in our hospitals, has suddenly decided it is OK if his ministry does not follow the rules?

2. Secondly, the report states that government policy is – general hospitals and clinics are meant for the lower income group and it was difficult to verify the financial status of everyone seeking treatment. The implication is that, those with financial means should seek private treatment. Now this is indeed news. Government hospitals are put up using tax payer’s money. It does not matter if the tax payer drives into GHKL with a Rolls Royce but he may indeed be paying far higher taxes then the average person. He should, like every other tax payer, be entitled to proper treatment and not be told that he needs to pay additional private specialist fees or shooed away to seek treatment at a private facility. Has the Treasury, Auditor General and Attorney General Chambers been advised of these arrangements? Continue reading “Can civil servants utilise government facilities for personal profit?”

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The Medical Mafia and ‘University Myanmar Sabah’

by LKT

I refer to your letter “University Myanmar Sabah” where the author lists various problems with the administration, staffing and ultimately blames the Dean, albeit prematurely, for the shortcomings of this Medical Faculty.

As long as there is a need for doctors and a concomitant maintenance in the rise of standards or medical technology exists, the evolution or expansion of medical schools here in Malaysia must be encouraged contrary to the opinions of some of your readers that a number of of these facilities ought to be shut down.

Development of local-based medical universities is critical if we are going to keep costs down and maintain standards instead of sending our bright but financially underprivileged children to such institutions based in Indonesia and Russia which did not have the benefit of a British educational input which has helped this country on previous occasions to have word class standards in medical care.

In 1962, when Thumboo John Danaraj was appointed the Foundation Dean to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, he proposed that the Medical Faculty should have its own hospital.

Up to the 1950’s, the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, which was known previously as King Edward VII College of Medicine had been the only medical school in Malaya and Singapore. The output of doctors at that time was small: 60 per year forcing many Malaysians to go overseas to seek undergraduate medical education.

Construction of the faculty building began in July 1963 right through March 1967 when the first wards were opened culminating finally in the completion of the Paediatric, Maternity and Rehabilitation Units which became functional in March 1968.

On 5th August 1968, the University Hospital was officially opened by the Agong. University Malaya had a world class Faculty and Hospital. But what of the lecturers?

T.J. Danaraj had no qualms bringing in the best lecturers he could afford and most of these lecturers originated from the Indian subcontinent, some of whom are still with the University. The country had not enough doctors let alone lecturers and in the initial years the University Hospital had to depend on a large expatriate population to help establish this school.

Although the working capital for this Malaysian medical icon came from both the Ministry of Education and Health, trouble was already brewing at the Ministry of Health, known those days and even sometimes today as the “Medical Mafia” which wanted to have the final say in all things medical in this country. They refused initially to recognise housemanship at the UH as part of the 4-year compulsory service until there were widespread protests by UH doctors. Continue reading “The Medical Mafia and ‘University Myanmar Sabah’”

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Health care proposals by Karl Karol

by YELVERTON

And what of Karl Karol, appointed by the EPU and MOH, to provide healthcare changes to a much vagaried population here in Malaysia not to mention health care staff. Well, they appeared to have zeroed in onto a few points and appear to be here to rubber stamp proposals by the same officials from the MOH who put us into our predicament in the first place. Government hospitals are today seen as giant, and on quite a few occasions, crumbling mortuaries with babies getting mixed up, dengue patients dying days later with no treatment, specialists who cannot string a proper sentence in English and of course now the home of the infamous petrolless ambulances.

KARL KAROL’S FINDINGS

1. Health care funding must come from the public’s purse and not taxes.

Meaning why in God’s name are we paying taxes for then? Our education system is in the gutter. Already our graduates have been made debtors for life and Mustapha has even taken it a step further by revoking their civil liberties by taking away their passports after, of course, humiliating them, their family, relatives and friends by splashing their names in our papers about their misdeeds of not paying up their PTPN loans although they may be unemployed. Our air force copters keep crashing. We pay tolls for our roads. And our soccer team doesn’t need our money because I am sure most Malaysians will now agree we ought not to have one. So why do you need our taxes. Oh OK. Inflation, etc, etc… .so whatever we are paying is just to “top-up” the short fall.

2. All government hospitals are to be corporatised for greater efficiency.

This sounds fair enough. Only problem is will the hospitals, just like MAS, Telekom and TNB supposed to continue employing deadwood or can we VSS them and will the government pay them off. And worse still as in MAS and PROTON, will the government continue with its lingering interference by placing retired Pengarahs to sit in as directors of these newly independent hospital boards complete with golf memberships, first class travel and holidays abroad? Will politicians walk in and scream “Saya tak mau bayar bill”. Continue reading “Health care proposals by Karl Karol”

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Should Malaysia’s RM11 billion health service be privatized?

Should Malaysia RM11 billion health service be privatized

by YELVERTON

And so the Aussies have ventured to set right our stone-aged health care system to see if we can kill less people. Looks like Malaysians cannot do anything right for themselves these days. Certainly any proposal has to be better then anything our clueless Ministry of Health officials can come up with but unfortunately the Aussies have failed to emphasize on one main factor… who holds the money? And is the MOH, currently so inefficient that ambulances run out of petrol midway to an accident scene, willing to take their fingers off the pies of equipment purchases, bloated IT budgets and crumbling hospital buildings.

When Thatcher ruled and decided the NHS needs new directions she became hopelessly unpopular to the glee of Labour. But Blair didn’t do a good job either. He stuffed down doctor’s throats MMC’s (Modernizing Medical Careers) without their consent not unlike Malaysia’s notorious Private Healthcare, Facilities and Services Act immediately alienating doctors provoking them to march in mass protests in London and Glasgow in March this year. This was followed by the resignations of Professor Alan Crockard as national director of Modernizing Medical Careers, Alex Liakos as adviser to the MMC and Professor Shelley Heard as MMC National Clinical Advisor prompting the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to apologize both in public and parliament.

The BMA (British Medical Association) unlike our muted MMA (Malaysian Medical Association) rightly pointed out that apologies were not enough as the entire training system has been put into jeopardy as changes have clearly not been thought through, throwing the futures of doctors and consequently healthcare into disarray. Till this day if you walk into any NHS hospital you will find notices advising doctors not to cooperate in the MMC. This move has also seen British doctors flying off to Australia and New Zealand for a “better rounded training”. Clearly Labour had forgotten the guile of Aneurin Bevan, the Guru who was instrumental in the successful initial implementation of the NHS. Continue reading “Should Malaysia’s RM11 billion health service be privatized?”

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Are our doctors properly trained?

Are our doctors properly trained?

by Tam Yeng Siang

I read the letter written by Tam Yong Yuee with interest and with a bit of concern.

As with his usual observant self, he has highlighted with a single example, how casual and nonchalant our medical profession has become, typically in Government clinics and hospitals.

It really amazes me that a Retired Primary School English Teacher (albeit a very good one), can be more circumspect in the diagnosis of our aunt, as compared to the presumptous view of the young doctor in attendance who has diagnosed her to have the Parkinsons’ disease.

Besides the absence of the ‘resting tremors’ that Yong Yee has observed, our aunt has also not suffered any speech impediment/deterioration in her years of having the trembling limbs symptom.

This is where my concern comes in. Are our young doctors serving in the thousands of clinics and hospitals adequately trained to treat our citizens properly?

If perchance they do not have the necessary experience when examining patients, do they take a moment to reflect, or even consult their references or their seniors, like what my brother did through Google?

To me, a doctor’s job begins when he finds himself stumped by a patient’s problems, and he tries to find a correct evaluation.

Have our doctors been trained to be discerning, or to just hazard a guess, like you and me. I am concerned.

(Letter by Tam Yong Yuee, published in NST 3.7.07, as follows:) Continue reading “Are our doctors properly trained?”

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Spot the signs of a stroke

[Chong Eng, MP for Bukit Mertajam, has forwarded me the following email on spotting the signs of a stroke. If a life can be saved, the posting of this email will be worth it.]

New Sign of a Stroke
Stick out Your Tongue.
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters .. S.T.R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.

Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this… Continue reading “Spot the signs of a stroke”

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Yek Yow Ngan – MOH and Assunta wrong

by AHMAD SOBRI

I read with anguish the recent death of Madam Yek Yow Ngan, 51, a marketing executive at the Nanyang Siang Pau. Madam Yek was apparently involved in a car accident on Sunday morning, 27th May at about 3am at the 8th mile Puchong Road and was subsequently surrounded by a group of men with parangs and iron rods.

She was rushed to the Assunta Hospital where she was admitted at 4.10 am by her son, Allan Yeong Hon, with multiple injuries and in a state of coma.

Active resuscitation was apparently carried out at the emergency unit at the Assunta by the nurses and doctor there including intubation and infusion of 4 units of blood. Her condition stabilized at about 5am.

She was subsequently wheeled in for CT scans and X-rays and was being transferred to the ICU when the question of costs arose.

The son, apparently unable to afford the charges, requested for a transfer to a government hospital.

She was subsequently transferred by ambulance at 5.45am in a “stable condition” to the General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur when there was no response from the nearby University Hospital. She arrived at 6.10am. She however died 3 hours later at the GHKL at 9.40am, Monday morning 28th May.

Her distraught family, unhappy with the medical turn of events, complained to the Ministry of Health. The Health Minister has seemingly absolved Assunta Hospital, saying that the Hospital had followed proper procedures.

He further clarified that since emergency treatment had been rendered before the question of payment arose, “the hospital had done nothing wrong” and this he deemed was fair. These events were apparently further confirmed by officers of his “medical practices” division which concurred with him.

There are two pertinent issues here, as in almost every emergency case reported in the media. Continue reading “Yek Yow Ngan – MOH and Assunta wrong”

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Qualifying exams for new docs

QUALIFYING EXAMS FOR NEW DOCS
by AZK

“You don’t have to blow out anybody else’s candles…
to make yours shine brighter…”

I read with interest the Health Minister’s proposal to have common qualifying examinations for all foreign-qualified doctors. The Health Minister appears to have discovered that all these frequent visits to assess and continually evaluate new medical schools are a costly affair.

In fact, in the age of the internet, it is nothing more then a scam by our free-loading MMC council members to claim allowances and fly business class to various, sometimes exotic destinations just to see if these schools produce bona-fide doctors, all courtesy of the tax-payer when much of the information can be gathered via the net.

More importantly though, now that Chua has proposed a qualifying examination in line possibly similar to Britain’s PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) or the USA’s USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) it boggles the mind if our lot of council members are really up to it in conducting examinations of this complexity.

Needless to say the current Unscheduled Universities Examination under Section 12(1) (aa), Medical Act 1971 is so hopelessly biased especially in the clinical sections, that, like the legal profession’s CLP where there is an incredibly high failure rate, it gives rise to suspicions that the examination is yet another tool to discriminate and meet political agendas to right racial imbalances in the profession.

More alarming is its selective application on foreign graduates but not on local graduates who today are mainly responsible for our notorious healthcare deliver systems.

Chua’s frustration could be real. The Malaysian Medical Council is a discredited body. Among others, it currently consists of a member who graduated after 40 years of age, another who is being sued [deleted], yet another who chairs meetings and doesn’t operate anymore [deleted].

Many are involved in businesses such as housing development, private medical schools, nursing schools, etc therefore bringing to the body a conflict of interest that will eventually skew any decision they try to make.

A significant number of these members are downright academically uninclined including deans with dubious qualifications. Continue reading “Qualifying exams for new docs”

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Chua Soi Lek should resign or retract his statement

by Richard Teo

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek Should resign or retract what he said when he suggested that “Medical graduates who studied overseas may have to sit for a unified medical examination and,whether their university is recognised or not, a pass in the examination would allow them to practise in Malaysia”.

Almost all medical students who opted to obtain their medical degrees overseas are force by circumstances and not by choice.

Dr. Chua should be aware that majority of STPM students who attained excellent grades were deprieved of an opportunity to do medicine at a local university because most of the places were filled by Matriculation students reserved for bumiputras.

The dilemma faced by students who aspire to become doctors were either to do their course in a private medical instituition or venture overseas if they can afford the astronomical costs.

For those who can afford and opted to do their course overseas the news of Dr. Chua’s statement that they have to undergo a medical exam in order to practice in Malaysia must be a body blow. Continue reading “Chua Soi Lek should resign or retract his statement”

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Don’t interfere in doctor transfers

by J Martin

I read with interest in the mainstream media regarding Lee Kah Choon’s reply in parliament and appeal to politicians from interfering with doctor’s transfers.

This, of course, is a long standing problem in not only the Health Ministry but almost every ministry in the country, especially when it involves the transfer of senior officers.

However the Health Minister should also look into other areas where politicians have been known to be a nuisance.

Politicians should further:

1. Not interfere where hospitals are to be built. We have frequently multi-million ringgit hospitals in constituencies where there are actually more cattle than people just because the ruling party candidate there wants a leg-up to win the election.

This is an absolute waste of health resources. Even recently the MOH suddenly allocated RM16 million for a “health clinic” for Ijok which has a total population of less then 15,000.

2. Not interfere with who gets the equipment contract to supply the MOH.

3. Not push their own favored, frequently incompetent contractors, to build hospitals.

4. Not interfere with who gets to supply pharmaceuticals and consumables.

5. Wives or husbands of politicians should not be promoted for positions when there are other more loyal and dedicated employees who have been waiting for ages to be promoted. Continue reading “Don’t interfere in doctor transfers”

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Dengue – a failure of medical leadership

DENGUE – A FAILURE OF MEDICAL LEADERSHIP
by Gabriel

I refer to the news that Malaysia is seeing a higher death toll from dengue fever this year. Health Ministry’s Director of Disease Control, Hasan Abdul Rahman said 44 people had died in the first four months of 2007 from 16,214 cases reported, compared to 21 deaths and 10,244 cases in the same period last year.

Even more disturbing is the statement that the disease has seen a rise of 16 per cent in cases every year since 2003 with fatalities reaching record levels in 2004, when 102 people died.

The Ministry’s Deputy Director-General, Ramlee Rahmat further appears to have even identified the cause for the rise attributing it to unkempt construction sites, indifferent contractors and land owners, public complacency and ideal weather conditions for breeding the Aedes mosquito.

Primary health care officials, having already identified the problems, may need to do more if this plague is to be dealt with more effectively.

The time is appropriate for them to speak to the DPM and ask for emergency powers for they may have no clout if some of these problems fall into the domain of the Environmental Ministry or local councils who may take a lackadaisical attitude to this endemic plague which can very well rapidly escalate to be an epidemic if these erratic weather conditions continue to facilitate the exponential breeding of the Aedes aegypti.

How indeed memories are short for authorities do not appear to remember the other great mosquito scourge that swamped this country in its early years — malaria. Continue reading “Dengue – a failure of medical leadership”

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50th Merdeka – nightmare of public health system

Our Pathetic Healthcare System
by “Product of the System”

Once upon a long time ago, I vowed as a naive medical student to serve fellow Malaysians with my utmost sincerity.

Despite much disappointment with the mediocrity of our local university, I was determined to repay the rakyat for the subsidy they have provided me with.

It has finally dawned on me that it is practically impossible to provide optimum healthcare in a pathetic healthcare system like Malaysia’s.

Indeed, ours is a system that is flawed at its very roots, and top.

An Obsession of Vanity

The shortcomings of Malaysia’s healthcare are anything but oblivious to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Instead of putting in concrete efforts to overcome simple problems with simple solutions, the MOH has instead chosen to busy itself with efforts of vanity and exhibitionism.

Penning a rosy Piagam Pelanggan and a lofty “misi dan visi” for every single sub-department will not translate into better services.

Putting our healthcare personnel through time-wasting, brain-washing Kursus Induksi, Biro Tatanegara (BTN) and Penilaian Tahap Kecemerlangan (PTK) programs will not produce more skillful and knowledgeable staff.

Holding weekly perhimpunan pagi hospital and singing patriotic-sounding songs will not miraculously make anyone serve their fellow Malaysians with greater commitment and efficiency.

Forcing our doctors to don bacterial-laden white coats and equally lethal neck ties is the perfect example of style without substance.

Seeking and attaining MS ISO accreditation is far from reflective of the quality of services our patients are receiving.

These fanciful so-called recognitions have instead added unnecessary red tape and rigidity to a clumsy, obese system already burdened and bloated with excessive bureaucracy and paperwork.

The MOH’s misplaced obsession with ISO recognition and protocol is holding everybody back — doctors, nurses, lab technicians, radiographers and everyone else trying to fulfill their duties in a system that frustrates.

While healthcare in much of the rest of the modern world is cruising ahead, Malaysia’s is so very wedged in the medieval ages, with no signs of any prospective improvements under a greedy government more concerned about serving the interests of its cronies in the money-loaded field of medicine. Continue reading “50th Merdeka – nightmare of public health system”

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Chua – have a heart

CHUA: HAVE A HEART
by LKN
KUALA LUMPUR

Perhaps Lee Kuan Yew is right and we should indeed pay Ministers more if we are to expect a better dose of governance.

I read with bewilderment the MOH’s appeal to private hospitals to provide affordable heart surgery to the poor failing which it will invoke the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (PHFSA) to direct these hospitals to carry out “their social responsibility.”

Chua appears to have been suddenly inspired with this brilliant idea following his visit to the Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bangalore and speaking to its “world-renowned director” Dr Devi Shetty where 14 Malaysians have been treated.

He further reasoned that the MOH may “arrange for the poor to be treated in Bangalore at a minimum rate if presumably prices in Malaysian private hospitals are not “reasonable”.

The Health Minister appears to demonstrate either inconceivable fiduciary irresponsibility or complete economic ignorance as to why cardiac costs and its concomitant services are high in the private sector.

He further seems oblivious as to why the government’s own hospitals cannot be more efficient in treating these patients ignoring completely that costs in government hospitals are probably the same if not more save for the fact that the tax-payer instead actually pays the same bill for government patients. Continue reading “Chua – have a heart”