PSM raises concerns over B40 insurance scheme
Dr D Michael Jeyakumar says MySalam will drive both patients and specialists to private healthcare.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia handed a memorandum to the Finance Ministry today over the implementation of MySalam, a health insurance scheme for the bottom 40 percent (B40) income group.
The group of 20 PSM members, led by central committee member Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, appeared at the Finance Ministry lobby at 10.30am, approximately an hour after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched MySalam at the same venue.
When contacted, Jeyakumar said his party feared that the implementation of MySalam may undermine the public healthcare system, as patients and specialists who serve in public hospitals would turn to private institutions.
"It will end up expanding the private hospital market and this would lead to most specialists going to private hospitals.
"At present, there are only 10 percent of specialists with more than 10 years of experience in government hospitals, while the rest are already in the private healthcare system.
"Seventy percent of inpatients seek treatment at government hospitals, while 30 percent go to private healthcare institutions," he said.
On Nov 2 last year, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said a private insurance company had agreed to contribute RM2 billion to initiate MySalam, which is expected to benefit 4.1 million B40 households.
Jeyakumar urged the government to use the RM2 billion for a fund to provide health equipment for those seeking treatment in public hospitals instead.
The former Sungai Siput MP said this was the third memorandum that PSM has submitted to Finance Ministry, with the previous two going unanswered.
"In our memorandum today, we are seeking an appointment to meet the minister. We will see how it goes."
According to Jeyakumar, the Finance Ministry did not meet the Malaysian Medical Association and other health-related NGOs who had raised concerns over the scheme.
"This is not a very good practice (by the ministry)," he said.
I couldn't agree more with many of the commentators here that the biggest beneficiaries of this scheme will be the insurance company that devised it (and perhaps others) and private practitioners. What ever has happened to that trusty staff of Harapan called transparency? And why was the Finance Ministry so allergic to dialogue on a matter affecting a deprived section of the community in a clear bid to win favour perhaps in the light of the CH election as many of the Orang Asli continue to be marginalized? Why am I reminded of the rushed vote getting schemes of the last corrupt regime? The answers are clearly blowing in the wind!
A famous person, referring to democracy, once said "it is not perfect but that is all we got". Concerns aplenty many, including me, have some, but what is equally important are also solutions.
Give free complain and don't give also complain. What nonsense is this. So the best thing is to maintain status quo. Dr Jeyakumar should not anticipate things even before it is even began. Lets implement and see what happens. The B40 needs help.