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The Star
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Cycling for a cause: Borneo charity ride to help terminally ill children
KOTA KINABALU: Palliative care for adults is a topic that many are somewhat aware of, but what about for terminally ill children? 'From what is observed here in Sabah, palliative care for children is not a subject many are aware of, and there isn't even a proper dedicated organisation or department that looks into this,' said a Sandakan-based orthopaedic surgeon from Selangor. Dr Timothy Cheng, 37, who has been working in Sabah for the past 13 years, said that with this in mind, he felt the need to do something to not only raise awareness but also get things moving and actions underway. With that, the idea of organising a cycling for charity event, to build a children's palliative care centre here in Kota Kinabalu, was born, he said. This programme, named 'Program Sepeda Amal Borneo 2025', organised by the Malaysia Medical Association (MMA), will run from July 27 to Aug 1, to raise RM500,000 for the building of the centre. 'A total of 17 people, comprising Malaysians, Singaporeans, Americans and Macanese, are scheduled to participate in this 600km ride from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu, while a charity dinner will ensue on Aug 1 at the Hilton Hotel here,' Dr Cheng said. He hopes that with awareness raised and donations received, they can make this dream a reality. At the moment, there is only a small team of non-governmental individuals who go for house and hospital visits, to educate parents and families on caring for their terminally ill children, as well as try to let the child have as much of a normal life as they can, he said. Dr Cheng said palliative care for adults is quite well established, as they get more funding, and it has been around for quite some time, but it is not the same for palliative care for children. 'How do you tell and make the child understand that they will pass away any time? How do you prepare parents, their siblings, other family members, friends and teachers to approach this topic?' he said. 'How can we try to adapt and make them live as normally as possible until the time they are no longer here? This is what we want to try and tell the public, teach them and hopefully, help to gain more attention on this matter,' he said. Dr Cheng said that with this cycling for charity programme, they also hope to indirectly bring attention to the condition of the infrastructure in Sabah. He said it is a fact that Sabah gets less attention from the federal government in many senses, and more needs to be done to address all the issues faced in this large, beautiful state. 'We wish to highlight how difficult it is for many, especially those living in rural areas, to get medical treatment, go for official matters and do other things because some really do have to go the extra miles just to get from one place to another,' he said. Dr Cheng hopes this coming cycle for the charity event will have support from the public, as well as lawmakers in the country.
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Malaysian GPs rally against lack of consultation on new drug-price display law, call for fee review
The group of about 400 doctors gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office at 11am on May 6 to submit a memorandum. ST PHOTO: LU WEI HOONG Malaysian GPs rally against lack of consultation on new drug-price display law, call for fee review – Hundreds of Malaysian general practitioners (GPs) gathered in the administrative capital of Putrajaya on May 6 to protest against a new government directive requiring the mandatory display of drug prices that the medical sector says was done without consulting them. The new rule requiring private healthcare facilities and community pharmacies to display price lists for medicines, which came into force on May 1, is parked under a set of anti-profiteering laws. But stakeholders in the medical industry argue that it should fall under the Private Healthcare Facilities Act, emphasising that GPs are a professional service – not part of the retail sector governed by the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act. The group of about 400 doctors also called for a review of GP consultation fees, which have been capped at RM10 (S$3.10) to RM35 for 33 years – citing rising business costs as a major concern. Dressed in black and some with stethoscopes around their necks, they gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office at 11am to submit a memorandum. They held placards with messages such as 'Is it fair for a GP to charge RM35 while a locksmith charges RM200 and a plumber, RM150?' and 'Consultation fees have been frozen for 33 years, but nasi lemak's price has increased by 80 per cent since 2011'. For many of the doctors, the protest was also about according their profession due respect. Malaysia Medical Association president-elect R. Arasu, who was at the site, said the government should not equate private GPs with sundry shops, highlighting the complexity and cost involved in delivering medical services. 'We provide a professional service that includes patient registration, consultation, investigation and prescription,' Datuk Arasu said, adding that doctors 'spend their prime years' studying and training to provide medical services and to open a private clinic. 'The barrier to entry is very high.' 'Anyone can open a sundry shop. You can't compare a professional service to selling goods,' Dr Arasu told reporters after submitting the memorandum. The new price display policy is aimed at promoting price transparency and empowering consumers. But there will be a three-month grace period where no compound fines will be issued, as clinics and doctors adjust to the new law. After which, failure to comply will result in a maximum fine of RM50,000 for individuals and RM100,000 for corporate bodies. Dr Arasu said that private doctors in general are not opposed to the new law that requires the display of drug prices, as it is the patients' right to know. But they do take issue with how the law was enacted, saying it was done without proper consultation from the medical community. It was also put into force before the government made good on its go-ahead to revise GP consultation fees, which have not been reviewed since 1992. At the rally, Dr Hakim Mahdi, 33, told The Straits Times : 'We feel betrayed. The Health Ministry had promised to increase consultation fees first. After years of study, we're charging RM10 to RM35 (for consultation) – while barbers already charge RM25 nowadays .' Regarding the consultation fee review, Dr Arasu said that following a recent meeting, details are still being finalised by the government. In March 2025, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia proposed that consultation fees be revised to a range of RM50 to RM150. There have been concern s over the affordability of healthcare in Malaysia amid higher costs of living and soaring health insurance premiums. On Jan 1, one of Malaysia's largest public hospitals serving much of the Klang Valley – University Malaysia Medical Centre – also hiked its fees for its services. Still, the mandatory drug price display law is a welcome move that allows greater transparency, accountability, and consumer empowerment in healthcare, said patients and consumer interest groups. A joint statement by the Consumers' Association of Penang, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, Malaysia Rural and Ecology Consumers Association, Teras Pengupayaan Melayu and Kuala Lumpur Consumer Safety Association on May 2 noted that Malaysia's medical inflation rate was reaching 15 per cent, well above regional and global averages. '(Transparent) pricing is a necessary first step towards curbing unjustified price hikes and protect household budgets.' it said. A 44-year-old patient who only wanted to be known as Mr Eng, takes medication for his high cholesterol. He said the price transparency mechanism will help him make more informed choices. 'Now I can compare clinic and pharmacy prices, so I won't be overcharged again,' he said . Lu Wei Hoong is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times. He loves to travel and discover hidden gems of stories. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
