Cabinet sends doctors' bid for higher fees to Cost of Living Action Council
The cabinet has requested that a proposal to raise the cap on private general practitioners' consultation fees be presented to the National Cost of Living Action Council.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had presented the proposal to the cabinet in April, but was then asked to direct it to the council before a decision is made...
The cabinet has requested that a proposal to raise the cap on private general practitioners' consultation fees be presented to the National Cost of Living Action Council.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had presented the proposal to the cabinet in April, but was then asked to direct it to the council before a decision is made.
"I presented it (to the cabinet) on April 24," he told a press conference after attending a town hall session with GPs in Putrajaya today.
"It was not rejected, but the cabinet wanted me to present it to the National Cost of Living Action Council first before presenting it to the cabinet again."
GPs operating their own clinics have asked for their consultation fee cap to be raised to match their counterparts in private hospitals.
Private hospital GPs had their consultation fees revised to between RM35 to RM125 in 2013, but those who run their own clinics are still operating with a cap of between RM10 to RM35.
During the town hall, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Association Malaysia (FPMPAM) honorary secretary Dr G Shanmuganathan questioned why Dzulkefly had to bring the proposed fee harmonisation before the cabinet.
He said that it was within the minister's power to allow the fee adjustment under Section 107 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
Addressing this in the press conference, Dzulkefly acknowledged that it was a long-standing issue, but stressed that he would not act unilaterally even if he has the power to do so.
"I guarantee that I will do my best for the fee harmonisation as it is a long-standing issue.
"There are those who ask that I invoke the minister's power under Section 107... but I would like to stress that this is a collective effort, especially for the new government that is trying to overcome the people's cost of living.
"We do not want it to impact (the people), particularly the B40 group," he said.
Dzulkefly also promised to address several issues affecting the medical community, including managed care organisations, fee splitting and the price of medicines.
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