Stop stalling, push Health White Paper in Parliament: MMA
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged lawmakers to discuss key reforms outlined in the Health White Paper (HWP) to improve the national healthcare system.
While acknowledging the necessity of stakeholder engagements, MMA president-elect Dr Thiryunavakarasu Rajoo highlighted that the HWP already outlines the frameworks needed to better the healthcare sector.
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Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Speed up Cabinet approval for GP consultation fee hike, says MMA
On May 6, the MMA and other GP groups submitted a memo that included a call for a consultation fee review before enforcement of the mandatory drug price display rule. (Freepik pic) PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has renewed its call for the government to urgently approve a long-delayed hike in consultation fees for general practitioners (GPs), saying stagnant rates for over three decades are pushing clinics to the brink. The call follows a joint memorandum submitted by MMA and other GP organisations to the Prime Minister's Office after a peaceful assembly on May 6. The memo urged the government to review outdated consultation fees before enforcing the mandatory drug price display rule. Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira. MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said they had since met health ministry officials and presented a clear, evidence-based justification for fee adjustments. While the government's final decision will consider all views, he called for the justification they had provided be taken seriously and for the Cabinet to expedite the review. 'The 33-year-old unchanged consultation fees have taken their toll and will only worsen the survival rate of GP clinics,' he said in a statement today. Kalwinder also expressed hope that the National Action Council on Cost of Living, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, would urgently address the issue and allow GPs to present their challenges. He said the delay in increasing GP fees was threatening the survival of primary care clinics across the country. 'The long-awaited fee revision is not about profit. It is not about worrying about its effect on healthcare inflation, which occurs predominantly in secondary and tertiary care. 'It is about ensuring the survival of primary care, which is the most cost-effective arm of our health system,' he said.
Malaysiakini
29-05-2025
- Malaysiakini
Stop stalling, push Health White Paper in Parliament: MMA
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged lawmakers to discuss key reforms outlined in the Health White Paper (HWP) to improve the national healthcare system. While acknowledging the necessity of stakeholder engagements, MMA president-elect Dr Thiryunavakarasu Rajoo highlighted that the HWP already outlines the frameworks needed to better the healthcare sector.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- New Straits Times
MMA calls for clear legal framework on medicine pricing
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to act swiftly on issues affecting private general practitioners (GPs), stressing the need for clear legal frameworks and fair consultation fees to ensure the sustainability of Malaysia's primary healthcare system. MMA president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the association looks forward to the government's firm decisions following its joint memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier this month. He said among the top concerns were the appropriate regulation of medicine price display policies and the long-overdue revision of GP consultation fees. He welcomed Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad commitment to place the medicine price display policy under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, a move the MMA has long advocated, rather than the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, which was never designed to regulate professional healthcare services. "To avoid disputes and legal ambiguities that may arise from overlapping legislation, the government must immediately de-gazette clinics from the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) once the decision is made to place the medicine price display policy under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586). "Keeping clinics under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act after the policy shift would only create unnecessary legal ambiguity," he said in a statement. He said the government must act swiftly to ensure regulatory clarity and prevent jurisdictional overlap by formally de-gazetting clinics from Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 once the other Act comes into effect. "While doctors fully support price transparency, we strongly maintain that all healthcare-related policies must be implemented and enforced under the purview of the Health Ministry (MOH). "While we respect the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's role in regulating the retail sector, it is important to recognise that healthcare is not retail." He said clinics provide essential, expert-driven services built on trust and ethical duty, not commercial transactions. Applying retail-based policies to medical practice risks compromising the quality and integrity of care Malaysians deserve, he said. Dr Kalwinder also called on the government to address the longstanding issue of stagnant consultation fees for private GPs. He said fees under the 7th Schedule of Act 586 have remained unchanged for over 33 years, despite significant increases in operating costs. "GP clinics are the front line of Malaysia's primary healthcare system. "For them to remain viable and continue delivering quality care, consultation fees must be reviewed and adjusted to reflect current realities," he said. He said the MMA has submitted a detailed proposal justifying the fee revision and hopes for a fair outcome that supports the long-term sustainability of private clinics. "These issues must not be delayed.
