logo
Itemised billing upon request at private clinics not a new requirement, says Health Ministry

Itemised billing upon request at private clinics not a new requirement, says Health Ministry

The Star17-05-2025

PETALING JAYA: Itemised billing for patients at private clinics, which must be given if requested, is an existing requirement provided by law, says the Health Ministry.
In a statement on Saturday (May 17), the ministry's pharmacy practice and development division said private clinics must prepare an itemised bill without additional charges to allow patients to understand the details of services provided as well as charges for treatment and medicine.
"The patient's right to receive itemised bills is a matter provided for under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Private Hospitals and Other Private Healthcare Facilities) Regulations 2006.
"The ministry would like to inform that there are no changes in policy or new announcements in relation to the implementation of itemised billing by private clinics," it said, adding this was to remove any confusion over the issue which arose after a TikTok Live session by the ministry on May 14 on itemised billing.
The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) had on May 15 criticised the ministry, alleging it made the announcement on the TikTok live session without any formal directive, circular or legal amendment.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Minister urges exemption of rural doctor allowance freeze in Sabah, Sarawak
Minister urges exemption of rural doctor allowance freeze in Sabah, Sarawak

Daily Express

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Express

Minister urges exemption of rural doctor allowance freeze in Sabah, Sarawak

Published on: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 11, 2025 By: Nora Ahmad Text Size: James visits one of the booths at the colloquium . KOTA KINABALU: Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib has proposed that rural doctor allowances in Sabah and Sarawak be exempted from the current federal freeze. He said the proposal would be brought up with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad during a scheduled meeting on Thursday. Advertisement James warned that the freeze could discourage contract doctors from renewing their service in remote areas, worsening the rural doctor shortage in Sabah. Speaking at the 17th Public Health Colloquium on Wednesday, he also highlighted ongoing basic facility issues in rural Sabah, including poor internet access, water supply, and electricity. He further urged the Health Ministry to strengthen regulations on e-cigarettes, noting concerns over the use of banned substances in some products. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

Instead of banning vape, Sabah proposes tighter regulations
Instead of banning vape, Sabah proposes tighter regulations

New Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Instead of banning vape, Sabah proposes tighter regulations

KOTA KINABALU: Instead of banning vapes, Sabah will look into tightening the regulation of electronic cigarettes. Datuk James Ratib said as Sabah health executive councillor, he could only make recommendations to the Health Ministry to improve regulations on vape-related matters. "I will recommend improvements in advisory measures to prevent indiscriminate vaping, a study to control (the manufacturing of vape products) and to determine whether they are laced with drugs. "If the vape liquid contains drugs, the responsible individuals should be arrested," said the state Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister after launching the 17th Public Health Colloquium at a hotel here. Present was Sabah Health director Dr Maria Suleiman. On banning the sale of vapes, James said the jurisdiction lied with the Local Government and Housing Ministry. Perlis, Terengganu, Kelantan, Johor and Kedah have banned the sale of vape products. According to Universiti Sains Malaysia, the National Poison Centre recorded 76 poisoning cases linked to vape products suspected of containing dangerous synthetic drugs between 2020 and 2024. A senior economics expert from Universiti Putra Malaysia said the economic returns from the vape industry were relatively small and short term, as the government has estimated that treating a single case of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury would cost about RM150,000. Since last October, the Health Ministry has enforced the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which includes provisions for e-cigarettes. James said he would meet Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad during his visit to Sabah tomorrow. Issues he plans to raise with the Health Ministry are the procurement of Sabah's first Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan machine, the provision of allowances for health personnel in rural areas and the need to expedite the establishment of the Sabah Heart Centre. Dr Maria said Sabah had about 4,000 doctors across the state. She said out of 130 dilapidated wooden health clinics, 97 had been upgraded to date.

#HEALTH: How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people
#HEALTH: How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people

New Straits Times

time6 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

#HEALTH: How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people

Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake, dangerous advice about diet and nutrition, experts warn. Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing. Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 per cent in 2000 to 7.8 per cent in 2018, a timeframe that captures the rise of social media. For the professionals trying to help teenagers recover from these disorders, misinformation from influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is a huge problem. "We no longer treat an eating disorder without also addressing social media use," French dietitian and nutritionist Carole Copti said. "It has become a trigger, definitely an accelerator and an obstacle to recovery," she added. The causes of eating disorders are complex, with psychological, genetic, environmental and social factors all having the potential to make someone more susceptible. Social media "is not the cause but the straw that may break the camel's back," said Nathalie Godart, a psychiatrist for children and adolescents at the Student Health Foundation of France. By promoting thinness, strictly controlled diets and relentless exercise, social media weakens already vulnerable people and "amplifies the threat" to their health, she said. 'VICIOUS CYCLE' Just one recent example is the #skinnytok trend, a hashtag on TikTok full of dangerous and guilt-inducing advice encouraging people to drastically reduce how much food they eat. For Charlyne Buigues, a French nurse specialising in eating disorders, social media serves as a gateway to these problems, which are "normalised" online. She condemned videos showing young girls with anorexia exposing their malnourished bodies — or others with bulimia demonstrating their "purges". "Taking laxatives or vomiting are presented as a perfectly legitimate way to lose weight, when actually they increase the risk of cardiac arrest," Buigues said. Eating disorders can damage the heart, cause infertility and other health problems, and have been linked to suicidal behaviour. Anorexia has the highest rate of death of any psychiatric disease, research has found. Eating disorders are also the second leading cause of premature death among 15- to 24-year-olds in France, according to the country's health insurance agency. Social media creates a "vicious cycle", Copti said. "People suffering from eating disorders often have low self-esteem. But by exposing their thinness from having anorexia on social media, they gain followers, views, likes... and this will perpetuate their problems and prolong their denial," she added. This can especially be the case when the content earns money. Buigues spoke of a young woman who regularly records herself throwing up live on TikTok and who had "explained that she was paid by the platform and uses that money to buy groceries". 'COMPLETELY INDOCTRINATED' Social media also makes recovering from eating disorders "more difficult, more complicated and take longer", Copti said. This is partly because young people tend to believe the misleading or fake diet advice that proliferates online. Copti said consultations with her patients can feel like she is facing a trial. "I have to constantly justify myself and fight to make them understand that no, it is not possible to have a healthy diet eating only 1,000 calories — that is half what they need — or that no, it is not normal to skip meals," she said. "The patients are completely indoctrinated — and my 45-minute weekly consultation is no match for spending hours every day on TikTok." Godart warned about the rise of people posing as "pseudo-coaches", sharing incorrect, "absurd" and potentially illegal nutrition advice. "These influencers carry far more weight than institutions. We're constantly struggling to get simple messages across about nutrition," she said, pointing out that there are lifelines available for those in need. Buigues takes it upon herself to regularly report problematic content on Instagram, but said it "serves no purpose". "The content remains online and the accounts are rarely suspended — it's very tiring," she said. The nurse has even advised her patients to delete their social media accounts, particularly TikTok.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store