PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has been instructed to fine-tune its proposal to review consultation fees for private general practitioners (GPs) and to continue discussions with stakeholders, as per the Dewan Rakyat.
In a Parliamentary written reply dated July 31, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that the Cabinet had been presented with a review of consultation fees for private GPs.
"However, the Health Ministry was directed to refine its proposal and continue engagement sessions with stakeholders and interested parties," he said.
Dr Dzulkefly noted that consultation fees for private GPs fall under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586).
He was responding to Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng), who inquired whether the medicine price display rule would consider the realities faced by private medical practitioners.
Tan also asked if the Health Ministry would consider a more balanced approach beyond the Price Control Act, and whether it could review the consultation fees for private GPs, which have remained unchanged since 1992.
On March 13, Dr Dzulkefly announced that revised consultation fees for GPs would be disclosed before May 1.
On June 9, he mentioned that a review of consultation fees had been raised with a task force chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM) has proposed increasing private GP fees to between RM50 and RM80.
MPCAM highlighted that GP consultation fees have remained at RM10 to RM35 for over three decades since 1992.
