There has been a lot of hype and call for the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 to be scrapped.

Though there are many clauses and requirements which appear to be unreasonable and creeping towards absurdity, still, as a doctor, I feel the Act should not be discarded in toto as the number of unhealthy practices which exploit patients' ignorance and innocence seems to be on the rise.

Therefore, the Act should be retained and enforced albeit with modifications and corrections where necessary, especially those clauses which appear unreasonable.

Some of the unhealthy practices which exist and which many doctors are aware of (some may even be practising them) and which the Act might help to curb to a certain extent are:

Medical assistants posing as doctors in many clinics especially 24-hour cllinics.

Medical assistants opening clinics with the Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) of (unscrupulous) doctors who are willing to 'lease' their APC for a fee.

Clinics being opened by non-medical personnel as a 'Sendirian Berhad' and employing dubious doctors who are sometimes foreigners who have entered our country as tourists, etc.

Doctors without APCs, without the required experience or who have qualified from unrecognised colleges and who have failed the examinations required for their degrees to be recognised.

Needless to say, some of these 'doctors' have been doing locum for umpteen number of years.

I feel if you are doing the right thing, there is nothing much to fear unless and otherwise you condone or subscribe directly or indirectly to the unhealthy, unethical practices mentioned above.