PETALING JAYA: Following the government’s green light to revise the consultation fees of general practitioners (GPs), doctors say it is long overdue and the minimum rate should be nothing less than RM50.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the group has been engaging with the Health Ministry over the matter.
“It is indeed something that MMA has been calling for some time now, especially over the last few months where we have been actively engaging and meeting with the Health Minister and ministry officials.
“We are happy that MMA’s efforts in advancing the cause of the private GP fees have finally been fruitful.
“We believe an increase to a minimum of RM60 in consultation fees would be an appropriate and fair amount whilst leaving the upper limit to be based on the studies conducted by NACCOL,” he said, referring to the National Action Council on Cost of Living.
“We feel this is appropriate taking into consideration the unchanged regulated fee range of RM10 to RM35 for over 33 years, (as well as) increased costs over this period and inflation,” he said.
Dr Kalwinder said many GPs have been struggling with rising operational cost such as rental, staff wages, medicines and medical equipment, and other costs to comply with regulations and some had to close down their clinics as they were unable to sustain operations.
“We hope that the consultation fee quantum to be decided and announced soon by the government, whilst taking into account factors such as cost of living and public opinion, will also be fair to the GPs and their current situation.
“It is also important that, going forward, fixed periodical adjustments of the consultation fees of 10% every three years are put in place to keep pace with inflation,” he said.
Former Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah said the announcement on the fee hike was overdue.
“Can you imagine in 1992, I was not yet in medical college; now I have been a doctor for 25 years and am finally getting an increment.
“The high medical costs actually come from hospital charges and not from primary care physicians and general practitioners,” he said when asked about concerns that the revision of consultation fees would drive up medical costs.
“We are here to keep healthcare costs low by managing uncomplicated cases at primary care level. Healthcare costs increase when patients bypass the primary care doctor and want to see a specialist for all illnesses.”
Dr Raj Kumar said the ideal rate of consultation fee would be between RM50 and RM150 with automatic revision every year in line with the rising cost of living.
At present, the consultation fees range from RM10 to RM35 but the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia had called for it to be set at RM50 to RM150.
Its president Dr Shanmuganathan Ganeson said the public has to be aware that the fee revision is a “long-overdue correction”.
“We do not know yet how much the fee will be set by the government. We have asked for a range to cope with short, medium and long consultations.
“I expect our GP doctors to be sensitive to affordability as they have always been. Like it or not, market forces will play a huge part in determining fees.
“The biggest contributors to medical inflation are hospital charges, diagnostics and medications – many of which have risen significantly over the years.
“The modest adjustment in GP fees is necessary to keep primary care clinics sustainable and ensure continued access to quality and easily accessible care for the public,” he said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said recently that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given the go-ahead for the revision of the fees under Schedule 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act with an announcement expected to be made before May.
He said the government is in the final stages of discussion with government agencies to determine GPs’ consultation fees, adding that NACCOL had also agreed to the revision.
