The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has joined the chorus of calls urging the government to reconsider its decision to make foreigners pay more for treatment at public hospitals.

Secretary-general G Rajasekaran said any such move should be held back until foreign workers are assured that their already meager incomes will not be further slashed by medical bills.

"Our fear is that, the moment foreign workers' medical bills are based on a different or higher rate, this is going to be taken from the employees themselves. They are going to end up paying the bills, not the employer," he said.

"Until such time that the employer is made to pay the expenses, the increase should not even be considered. There must be a clear assurance on this."

Rajasekaran said this when met after the opening of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions - Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation executive board meeting in Petaling Jaya recently. He is president of the organisation.

On Saturday, Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek had announced that foreigners seeking treatment at public hospitals would have to pay charges based on the fees set by private practitioners and hospitals.

This follows a directive, implemented in June last year, that foreigners seeking medical services at public hospitals should be charged at first-class rates.

The recent decision was reportedly based on grounds that foreign workers are benefitting from subsidised medical services meant for Malaysians.

According to media reports, unpaid hospital bills of foreigners last year amounted to RM11.36 million, nearly double from RM6.1 million in 2002.

Difficulties of workers

Rajasekaran acknowledged that Malaysians have been indirectly subsiding the medical bills of foreigners who do not pay tax.

However, he argued that structures could be put in place for companies to alleviate, if not fully meet, the medical expenditure of foreign employees.

"When the employer applies for a permit to bring in foreign workers, the government can require that the employer make some contribution in respect of medical expenses," he said.

"However, this should happen only on condition that such a contribution comes from the employers and not the workers."

Rajasekaran stressed that foreign workers, especially domestic workers, are often already saddled with debts to their recruiting agents who arranged their employment.

Many domestic workers, therefore, have to forego wages for three to five months as their employers pay this directly to the recruiting agency.

"The poor girl (domestic worker) has no choice. She will work. But how do you think she feels? She's working 10-12 hours a day and at the end of the month, the money doesn't reach her hand. That's why some feel like committing suicide," said Rajasekaran.

"This way (with the hiked medical fees) you make it impossible for people to earn. They get frustrated when they don't get their salary, and then this is deducted even more."

Delay in treatment

On Tuesday, the pro tem Parti Sosialis Malaysia criticised the health minister for sidelining migrant workers' welfare.

Central committee member Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj said a hike in medical fees will result in financial hardship for them as well as delay their seeking treatment.

"This reluctance to seek prompt treatment will in turn lead to delay in the diagnosis and treatment of the many infectious illnesses that foreign workers are prone to, because of the unhygienic conditions in which many of them live," he said,

In turn, infections like tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria and gastroenteritis will spread to the public, affecting Malaysians in the process, he added.