PETALING JAYA - The Malaysian government has given its nod to revise the consultation fees of general practitioners (GPs) with an announcement to be made before May.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had given the go-ahead for the revision of the fees.
The National Action Council on Cost of Living had also agreed to it, he added.
“We are in the final stages of discussion with the government agencies to determine the GPs’ consultation fees,” he told a press conference on March 13.
At present, the fees ranged from RM10 (S$3) to RM35 but the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia had sought for it to range from RM50 to RM150.
A March 6 statement from the association said the fees were capped back in 2006, noting that costs had gone up over the years with many smaller clinics having to shut down.
Daruk Seri Dzulkefly also spoke about the requirement for private clinics to display medicine prices starting May 1.
According to him, private hospitals are ready to do so but private GPs are only prepared to comply if their consultation fees under Schedule 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act were revised.
“I have given my assurance to the GPs that I will continue to fight for this issue and I anticipate the support from them for the price display rule come May 1.
“The price display will enable patients to make informed decisions about the choices of treatment while pushing for competitive market forces. This will also indirectly help reduce the issue of medical inflation.”
Following a discussion with GPs, he said these clinics would be ready for the price display requirement if there was a revision of the Schedule 7 consultation fees.
In November 2024, Dr Dzulkefly told Parliament that the government wanted private healthcare facilities to display medication prices as part of a comprehensive initiative to improve transparency in healthcare costs. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Thanks for sharing!