KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia supports the Health Ministry's initiative to expand its "private wing" or Full Fee-Paying (FFP) services across its hospitals but urged the government to address several critical concerns during its implementation.
Named Rakan MOH, the initiative targets the M40 income group and will involve establishing private branches in the ministry's hospitals via a special-purpose vehicle (SPV).
APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh stated that the proposed plan allows patients to "co-pay" for treatments in public hospitals adopting a private-sector model.
"This strategy seeks to reduce the financial burden on public financing while addressing the challenge of brain drain and improving the earnings of public specialists.
"Many individuals within the M40 group currently struggle to cope with rising insurance premiums, driven by increasing healthcare costs and private hospital bills."
In a statement today, Dr Kuljit said several critical concerns must be addressed, including a comprehensive assessment to determine whether there is sufficient capacity to accommodate FFP patients without detracting from services provided to lower-income patients.
"It is the ethical responsibility of government hospitals, which are funded by taxpayers, to provide services to the entire population, particularly the underprivileged. The existing demand on public hospital resources is already overwhelming."
While the initiative promises to offer specialists the opportunity to enhance their income by treating FFP patients, he stressed that these services must occur in designated private wings or separate facilities.
"Rigorous monitoring will be necessary to ensure that specialists' commitments to public healthcare are not compromised by their work in private settings."
Dr Kuljit added that private hospitals will continue accommodating patients seeking comprehensive treatment with precise medical procedures and advanced facilities, stating that they will strive to cultivate additional collaboration with these private wings as needed.
He also urged authorities to ensure that service standards for non-private patients, including surgical schedules and outpatient appointment waiting times, remain unaffected, as neglecting to do so could result in inequities.
"Although the private wings may generate revenue and attract specialists, they will also benefit from government-negotiated discounts on medications and equipment, making their services more affordable than those of private hospitals.
"Nevertheless, this should not be used as a price comparison mechanism with privately owned institutions, as the financial dynamics and procurement model are not supported by taxpayers in purely privately owned healthcare facilities," he added.