Saving our healthcare system
Jeyakumar DevarajPublished: Mar 28, 2007 12:28 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
'No' to any more new taxes on the rakyat!
'No' to any measures that will weaken the government hospitals further!
"No" to schemes that penalise GP's for referring patients to specialists.
'Yes!' to a separate Health Commission for Health Care Personnel so that their pay scales can be improved.
'Yes!' to government allocation to health be increased from RM10 billion per year which is 2 percent of GDP, to at least RM16 billion.
'Yes!' to a moratorium on the setting up of any more private hospitals.
These were some of the decisions that emanated from the Forum on Health Financing Reform held on March 25 at the Universiti Malaya.
'No' to any more new taxes on the rakyat!
'No' to any measures that will weaken the government hospitals further!
"No" to schemes that penalise GP's for referring patients to specialists.
'Yes!' to a separate Health Commission for Health Care Personnel so that their pay scales can be improved.
'Yes!' to government allocation to health be increased from RM10 billion per year which is 2 percent of GDP, to at least RM16 billion.
'Yes!' to a moratorium on the setting up of any more private hospitals.
These were some of the decisions that emanated from the Forum on Health Financing Reform held on March 25 at the Universiti Malaya.
The public has a right
A consultant, Karl Karol, was appointed by the government in June 2006 to plan Health Financing Reform for Malaysia.
Although he has come up with two interim reports, neither of these have been released to any consumer groups nor to the GMPPK (Coalition Against the Privatisation of Health Services)
They have been labeled as 'sulit' and kept from public eye. The final report is due in April 2007, but still the Malaysian public has not been given any idea as to the direction of the proposed changes.
It is for this reason that consumer umbrella body Fomca, the GMPPK and the UM General Staff Union decided that the issues being discussed by the consultant and the Malaysian government should be exposed to the Malaysian public.
Although the Ministry of Health and the Economic Planning Unit declined to participate in this forum, the GMPPK defied the OSA and presented a detailed analysis of the 200 page interim report that was submitted by the consultant in February 2007.
As Dr Subra, the GMPPK chairman said, "This not about building a nuclear bomb. This is about a basic need, and the public has the right to have a say!"
The 90 odd participants who attended this forum were disturbed to hear that the consultant is proposing a slate of neo-liberal measures and mechanisms.
Doctors with quotas
An ear-marked VAT (GST) is to be implemented to raise money for the National Health Fund which will then pay for treatment in both government and in private hospitals.
All government hospitals are to be corporatised so that they will behave like efficient businesses.
Patients can only access the system through their designated GP. If they bypass their GP they will have to meet the costs themselves. Over use of the facilities will be curtailed by penalising the GPs who refer more than their quota!
The speakers, Indrani (from Fomca), Dr Toh Kin Woon (Penang State exco), Dr Subramaniam (GMPPK/Aliran) and Dr Kumar (GMPPK/PSM) stressed that Malaysia had a good and efficient healthcare system up till the 1980's.
The promotion of private hospitals after 1980 led to a severe brain drain such that at present only 30 percent of the specialists in the country are in government service, although 70 percent of inpatients still are admitted to government hospitals.
Privatisation of pharmaceutical procurement and the five support services are among the main causes of rising costs.
"The implementation of neo-liberal measures have created the current problems in our healthcare system," Dr Kumar declared.
"Now the consultant is proposing even more neo-liberal changes claiming that these will correct the harm done by the first batch of neo-liberal changes," he added.
Dr Toh explained that health, like education, is a "merit good" the benefit of which goes far beyond just the immediate consumer of that good. It has to be delivered by the government and not by for-profit businesses.
Let's work together
Many questions and ideas came up from the audience at discussion time.
Kiren (from CAP) felt that the government should be more open, and that the private sector should be controlled.
Dr Chan Chee Khoon (Citizen Health Initiative) pointed out that the biggest two private hospital chains are controlled by government through the Johor SEDC and Khazanah Nasional.
What is the role of government, he asked.
Dr Rafael, a visitor from Puerto Rica, shared how neo-liberal measures like the ones in the consultants report have wrecked the healthcare system in his country and urged us to be vigilant.
Dr McCoy (former president of the MMA) said that the root of the problem is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the discreditation of Socialism.
The problem the whole world is facing is unfettered American capitalism that has become arrogant as there is no longer any socialist opposition.
He argued that corporate tax in Malaysia is far too low, and that government should increase corporate tax if it needed more funds.
The consensus was that it is important that we act together to save our healthcare system.
We need to take the message to our friends and families. Only by working together can we safeguard our health.
Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj is the secretary of the Coalition Against the Privatisation of Health Services.
'No' to any measures that will weaken the government hospitals further!
"No" to schemes that penalise GP's for referring patients to specialists.
'Yes!' to a separate Health Commission for Health Care Personnel so that their pay scales can be improved.
'Yes!' to government allocation to health be increased from RM10 billion per year which is 2 percent of GDP, to at least RM16 billion.
'Yes!' to a moratorium on the setting up of any more private hospitals.
These were some of the decisions that emanated from the Forum on Health Financing Reform held on March 25 at the Universiti Malaya.
The public has a right
A consultant, Karl Karol, was appointed by the government in June 2006 to plan Health Financing Reform for Malaysia.
Although he has come up with two interim reports, neither of these have been released to any consumer groups nor to the GMPPK (Coalition Against the Privatisation of Health Services)
They have been labeled as 'sulit' and kept from public eye. The final report is due in April 2007, but still the Malaysian public has not been given any idea as to the direction of the proposed changes.
It is for this reason that consumer umbrella body Fomca, the GMPPK and the UM General Staff Union decided that the issues being discussed by the consultant and the Malaysian government should be exposed to the Malaysian public.
Although the Ministry of Health and the Economic Planning Unit declined to participate in this forum, the GMPPK defied the OSA and presented a detailed analysis of the 200 page interim report that was submitted by the consultant in February 2007.
As Dr Subra, the GMPPK chairman said, "This not about building a nuclear bomb. This is about a basic need, and the public has the right to have a say!"
The 90 odd participants who attended this forum were disturbed to hear that the consultant is proposing a slate of neo-liberal measures and mechanisms.
Doctors with quotas
An ear-marked VAT (GST) is to be implemented to raise money for the National Health Fund which will then pay for treatment in both government and in private hospitals.
All government hospitals are to be corporatised so that they will behave like efficient businesses.
Patients can only access the system through their designated GP. If they bypass their GP they will have to meet the costs themselves. Over use of the facilities will be curtailed by penalising the GPs who refer more than their quota!
The speakers, Indrani (from Fomca), Dr Toh Kin Woon (Penang State exco), Dr Subramaniam (GMPPK/Aliran) and Dr Kumar (GMPPK/PSM) stressed that Malaysia had a good and efficient healthcare system up till the 1980's.
The promotion of private hospitals after 1980 led to a severe brain drain such that at present only 30 percent of the specialists in the country are in government service, although 70 percent of inpatients still are admitted to government hospitals.
Privatisation of pharmaceutical procurement and the five support services are among the main causes of rising costs.
"The implementation of neo-liberal measures have created the current problems in our healthcare system," Dr Kumar declared.
"Now the consultant is proposing even more neo-liberal changes claiming that these will correct the harm done by the first batch of neo-liberal changes," he added.
Dr Toh explained that health, like education, is a "merit good" the benefit of which goes far beyond just the immediate consumer of that good. It has to be delivered by the government and not by for-profit businesses.
Let's work together
Many questions and ideas came up from the audience at discussion time.
Kiren (from CAP) felt that the government should be more open, and that the private sector should be controlled.
Dr Chan Chee Khoon (Citizen Health Initiative) pointed out that the biggest two private hospital chains are controlled by government through the Johor SEDC and Khazanah Nasional.
What is the role of government, he asked.
Dr Rafael, a visitor from Puerto Rica, shared how neo-liberal measures like the ones in the consultants report have wrecked the healthcare system in his country and urged us to be vigilant.
Dr McCoy (former president of the MMA) said that the root of the problem is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the discreditation of Socialism.
The problem the whole world is facing is unfettered American capitalism that has become arrogant as there is no longer any socialist opposition.
He argued that corporate tax in Malaysia is far too low, and that government should increase corporate tax if it needed more funds.
The consensus was that it is important that we act together to save our healthcare system.
We need to take the message to our friends and families. Only by working together can we safeguard our health.
Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj is the secretary of the Coalition Against the Privatisation of Health Services.
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