In 2002, when the idea of allowing government doctors to do private practice was put forward, the Consumers Association of Penang and others had already voiced their concerns. It is disturbing that the government is going ahead with the move to allow doctors to work in private practices out of office hours (locum duty).

At present, government doctors are already overworked and spending long hours attending to regular and call duties. How can doctors do justice to their patients as well as themselves if they take on the added responsibility of private practice?

Firstly, they will not be able to give their full attention to their patients in government hospitals as their attention and energies will be divided. The tendency to pay more attention to paying patients in the private practice may surface and the non-paying patients will suffer. Secondly, doctors have need for sufficient rest, time to keep abreast with the latest developments in the medical field and time to spend with their families.

Our healthcare system at present is faced with critical challenges of its own. We have a serious shortage of medical doctors and other key healthcare personnel. Our population is big, with a large rural population, currently under-served due to a lack of healthcare personnel.

Doctors should be sufficiently rewarded for the extra work hours they are already putting in at their own government health facilities. Extra revenue can be generated which can be channeled towards increasing the salaries and allowance of doctors. Remuneration should be sufficient enough so that doctors do not need to put in yet more hours in the private sector.

One way of immediately increasing the revenue for the government will be to raise the current charge of RM1 for outpatient treatment at government health facilities. Patients can pay RM5 for treatment by medical officers, and those who visit specialists can pay slightly more. This move alone would bring in extra millions that can be used as remuneration for doctors.

In-patients who can afford to pay for treatment at government hospitals should play their part in easing the burden on the government. Third-class patients can continue to be charged nominal rates for specialist and in-patient treatment. However, these charges can be raised slightly, where appropriate, to bring in more revenue.

Those who cannot afford to pay full rates should be given discounts or, in the poorest cases, free treatment. Patients at first-class and second-class wards could pay a greater percentage of the costs of treatment, although the fees should remain reasonable.

The writer is president of Consumers Association of Penang.