Long-awaited GP fee revision nears completion, says Dzulkefly
KUALA SELANGOR: The Health Ministry has assured that the long-awaited revision of general practitioners' consultation fees will be finalised within a month.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said the cabinet memorandum and supporting circular have already been prepared, and are expected to be tabled within the same period.
"I have already prepared the cabinet memorandum and the circular, and I'm aiming to resolve this matter within a month at the latest.
"Once I present it and secure cabinet approval, it will be implemented, as Naccol (National Action Council on Cost of Living) has already agreed.
"It is now just a matter of getting the cabinet memorandum approved, and hopefully, a week after that, we can finalise the revision of the Seventh Schedule," he said at a press conference today after launching the 'Kembara Tolak Ubat Tidak Sah' programme here.
The consultation fees are regulated under the Seventh Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Private Medical Clinics or Private Dental Clinics) Regulations 2006 of the Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
On April 8, Dzulkefly said the ministry was awaiting a decision from the Finance Ministry on the proposed revision of general practitioners' consultation fees.
On March 4, he said that the ministry was reviewing consultation fees for private general practitioners, which have remained unchanged for almost two decades.
Dzulkefly also said that the ministry is collaborating with the Department of Statistics Malaysia to conduct simulations and determine a suitable price range.
On March 14, Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira expressed hope that consultation fees for general practitioners would be increased to at least RM60, up from the current rates of RM10 to RM35.
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