Clinics protest in black over unrevised fees, regulatory gaps

Private medical clinics staged a protest by wearing black on Monday, in a demonstration organised by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

A search on social media showed clinics from across the country participating in the protest, with the hashtags #MalaysiaGPsolidarity, #goBlackforGPs, #saveourGPs, #neglectedGPs, and #stopunfairtreatment.

According to MMA's call for a protest last Friday, the demonstration was over fee schedules that had not been updated for decades, an absence of regulation on third-party administrators, the government’s price display policy which hurt clinics, and unlicensed practitioners encroaching on GP services.

“These challenges, persisting for 20 to 30 years, threaten their sustainability, risk clinic shutdowns, and compromise access to quality care, prompting urgent calls for reform,” an internal FAQ stated, as reported by health portal CodeBlue.

The MMA argued that the GP government-regulated consultation fees have remained fixed at RM10 to RM35 since 1992, making it hard for GPs to sustain their practices.

This is further compounded by the government mandate for clinics to display medication prices.

The MMA also argued that the price display policy oversimplifies the cost structure of private healthcare services, where there is a need to make profits on medication to cover operational costs.

"While these policies may seem transparent, they are not pragmatic for professional services and can create confusion. Patients may perceive prices as high, without understanding that these costs sustain the clinic’s ability to provide quality care," it said.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced on Nov 12 in Dewan Rakyat that the government would mandate the display of medication prices in private healthcare facilities to enhance price transparency, stating it would take effect next year.

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