Latest news with #ThirunavukarasuRajoo
The Star
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Private GPs push back
Photo: AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star Don't compare grocers with health services, say doctors in protest PUTRAJAYA: Mostly clad in black, hundreds of doctors gathered here to protest a new rule requiring private healthcare facilities to display the prices of medicine. They were seen holding placards that read 'We will not be silenced', 'Healthcare workers are undervalued', and 'Unfair fees and policies keep current and future doctors away'. The doctors, some of whom had even travelled from Perak, gathered here from 9am and intended to march from the Health Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office. However, it was changed to a gathering behind the PMO at the last minute. The protest ended at about noon. The doctors have said they are not against the new price display mechanism but do not want the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) used on the medical profession. This was because private clinics are already strictly regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586). Act 723 is typically applied to retailers and grocers, and doctors, as professionals, ought not to be subjected to it, stated Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president-elect Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo. 'Don't compare grocery stores with professional services,' he said. CLICK TO ENLARGE Dr Thirunavukarasu said MMA supports transparency in the healthcare sector and was seeking support from the Cabinet and the Prime Minister. He said general practitioner fees have been stagnant for many years and they are seeking the government's intervention on the matter. 'We know the fee is a political issue. That is why we are seeking support from the entire Cabinet. 'They are talking about inflation, and they must make sure primary care, delivered through over 12,000 clinics in Malaysia, is sustainable,' he said. Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad assured that every demand outlined in the memorandum would be thoroughly reviewed. 'I will certainly get their memorandum. I will study every one of their requests,' he told reporters at an event yesterday, Bernama reported. Among the 15 medical associations that joined the protest were MMA, the Federation of Private Medical Associations Malaysia, Interdisciplinary Medicine and the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association. The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drugs) order, which mandates that private healthcare providers display medicine prices, has been gazetted. The order was signed by Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Ali. Individual healthcare providers who fail to comply face a fine of up to RM50,000. Corporate bodies are liable to a fine of up to RM100,000. According to the order, drugs that are visible to customers and kept on display must have a price tag. For those that are kept behind the counter or not visible to customers, a price list must be prepared. The price list should contain information such as the generic name or active ingredient of the drug, strength, trade name and the selling price per unit, per unit weight or the measure of the drug. The price list would have to be displayed in a physical form, such as through electronic media, electronic screens and any suitable tools and devices customers can access.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Don't regulate doctors with Act 723
PUTRAJAYA: Private sector doctors have demanded Putrajaya not to place the new medicine price display mandate under the purview of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's jurisdiction. According to them, the doctors are not against the new price display mechanism, but they are against using the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) on the medical profession. This was because private clinics are already strictly regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998. Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president-elect Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said doctors are considered professional services and they should not be governed under Act 723. 'Don't compare grocery stores with professional services,' said Dr Thirunavukarasu. Dr Thirunavukarasu said MMA supports transparency in the healthcare sector, and they are asking the government to intervene in the matter. 'We need support from the Cabinet and also the Prime Minister to ensure that this is done,' he said, adding that Act 723 is more suitable to regulate retail businesses. Dr Thirunavukarasu also said general practitioner (GP) fees have been stagnant for many years, and they are seeking the government's intervention on the matter. 'We always know the fee is a political issue, and that is why we are seeking support from the entire Cabinet. 'We believe that the government will consider that because they are talking about inflation and they must make sure primary care, delivered through over 12,000 clinics in Malaysia, is sustainable,' he said. According to the memorandum submitted to the PMO, it called for the revision of private GP fees as it has remained unchanged over the last 33 years. The group also urged Putrajaya to regulate Third-Party Administrators (TPA), as these entities, which act as intermediaries between insurers and GPs, often charge high administration fees on clinics, delays on claims, low consultation fees, and among others. The group also wants the government to look into the rise of foreign equity in the healthcare sector. Among the 15 medical associations that joined the protest were MMA, the Federation of Private Medical Associations Malaysia, the Interdisciplinary Medicine and the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association, among others. The protest, which began at around 9am, had ended at about Tuesday (May 6) noon.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Doctors have families too': Private GPs rally in black against mandatory drug price display, say subjected to overlapping laws
PUTRAJAYA, May 6 — About 200 of private medical practitioners gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office this morning to protest the mandatory drug price display ruling that came into effect on May 1. Clad in black, the attendees held up red, blue, and black placards with messages such as 'Doctors have families too,' 'GPs support fair drug pricing. Reject Act 723,' and 'Unfair fees and policies are driving doctors away.' MMA in a statement last night, said that while doctors support the principle of price transparency, they oppose the use of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) for enforcing medicine price displays. Instead, they are calling for the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) to be used. What the doctors are opposing: The use of Act 723 — The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 to enforce the display of medicine prices. Overregulation — Being subject to both Act 723 and Act 586, which could result in enforcement overlaps. Application of a non-medical law — Act 723 was designed for retail businesses, not for healthcare settings. Potential disruption — The overlap may cause confusion and disrupt primary healthcare services. What the doctors are calling for: Use of Act 586 instead — The Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, which specifically governs the medical profession. Constructive engagement — Meaningful dialogue between the government and stakeholders to resolve the issue. Transparent pricing via proper legislation — Doctors support price transparency but insist it be implemented through Act 586. Clarity in regulation — A consistent legal framework to avoid duplication and ensure effective healthcare delivery. The associations will hand over a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office after the assembly. The gathering, organised by the MMA, drew participation from 15 medical associations nationwide, including the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM), the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), and others. After handing over a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office, MMA President-Elect Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo told a press conference that professional medical services should not be equated with the sale of goods. 'We are a professional service, meaning we provide a service to a patient. A patient goes through a journey. From registration, to seeing the doctor, receiving advice, undergoing a physical examination, maybe even some investigations, and finally receiving a diagnosis. That's a process. 'If we compare this to a retail shop or a pharmacy, each has its own role. A retail shop sells goods. We provide a professional service,' he said. Dr Thirunavukarasu added that opening a clinic requires nearly a decade of education and training, including A-levels, five to six years of medical school, and four years of clinical practice, making it a highly demanding path that consumes a person's prime years, unlike the low barrier to entry for starting a retail business. 'That's why you simply cannot equate professional services with selling goods. That's the point,' he said. Dr Thirunavukarasu stressed that existing laws already uphold a patient's right to be informed of the costs involved in medical services. 'So that's why we feel disappointed, why was this suddenly done? The medical profession is one of the oldest in the world and has always practiced transparency, as it is built on the doctor-patient relationship. There is already an existing law, the Medical Act 1971, to regulate this relationship,' he added. When asked about the consultation fee issue, Dr Thirunavukarasu said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad is looking into it. 'We have been communicating with the minister, all we know is that he's actually looking into it. So the details we have no idea,' he said. The organisations initially planned to march 2.3km from the Health Ministry's headquarters to the Prime Minister's Office, but the decision was revised due to the presence of elderly participants and advice from the police. Dr Thirunavukarasu said the assembly today emphasised the importance of primary care, trusting the government will take the right action without pressure or demands from the organisations.
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New Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
[UPDATED] Doctors submit memo to PMO protesting Price Control Act
PUTRAJAYA: Hundreds of doctors across Malaysia gathered today to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office, protesting the application of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 on the medical profession. While the doctors supported the new price display mechanism, they objected to using a separate Act for enforcement, as private clinics were already strictly regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998. "We support transparency in the health sector. But we can't compare professional services with sales. That's all. It's not about the price of the medicine. "It is the patients' right to know all the prices. It has been there since 2006. It's not new," said Malaysian Medical Association president-elect Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo. He said that the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 was an inappropriate law used to govern healthcare facilities, as it was not a retail business. The memorandum stressed that MMA were not allowed to discuss the matter with the government despite repeated requests for stakeholder engagement and a separate request to meet the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living. He added that, coupled with fears of overregulation, the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 is already in place to regulate clinical governance, patient safety, and fair pricing. The requirement to display the price of medicine was enforced on May 1 under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011. The gathering, the first of its kind organised by the MMA, addressed four core issues plaguing the medical industry. The group highlighted that the general practitioners' fees, which are set out in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, have been stagnant for over 33 years. Dr Thirunavukarasu said that the rates have not reflected the realities of rising operational costs, inflation, increasing staff salaries, technology adoption, regulatory requirements and the escalating expectations for documentation and digitalisation. The group also urged the government to regulate Third-Party Administrators (TPA), which act as the intermediary between insurers and GPs. The group alleged that TPAs have arbitrarily imposed high administrative fees on clinics, fixed low consultation rates between RM10-RM35, caused delays in payment of claims, and had begun outsourcing long-term prescription medicine to third-party pharmacies via e-prescriptions, bypassing the attending doctors. "It is not aligned with evidence-based clinical management and threatens patient safety by removing continuity and exposing patients to increased rates of complications of non-communicable diseases," the memorandum read. The group also urged the government to oversee the rise of foreign equity in the healthcare sector, as many foreign-owned private healthcare facilities were targeting medical tourists and high-income patients and diverting resources from the local population and inflating healthcare costs. Among the 15 medical associations that participated in the protest gathering in Putrajaya were the MMA, Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia, Malaysian Association for Advancement of Functional and Interdisciplinary Medicine and Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association.
Free Malaysia Today
30-04-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
GPs to march to PMO in protest of drug price display rule
Private GPs will gather at the health ministry's headquarters in Putrajaya at 10am on Tuesday before marching to the Prime Minister's Office. PETALING JAYA : Private general practitioners (GPs) will march from the health ministry's headquarters to the Prime Minister's Office in protest of the mandatory display of drug prices, which comes into effect tomorrow. The protest organised by the Malaysian Medical Association's private general medical practitioners section will be held on Tuesday, with doctors to gather outside the health ministry's office in Putrajaya at 10am. The section's chairman, Dr Parmjit Singh Kuldip Singh, said the peaceful protest would comply with the law and that the necessary approvals would be obtained. 'We demand consultation. We demand justice. Join the march, make your voice heard,' said a poster promoting the march. MMA president-elect Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo shared the poster on X, saying the policy was 'strangling' GPs, who were not consulted on the matter. 'If you want healthcare costs to be sustainable, strengthen GPs, don't strangle us. This walk to Putrajaya is not just symbolic, it's a plea for survival,' he said. Earlier, MMA slammed Putrajaya for going ahead with the enforcement of the mandatory drug price display rule, particularly for failing to consult GPs and implementing the policy under a non-medical law. MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira also called out health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, saying he had promised that the price display rule would only be implemented after a review of GP consultation fees. Consultation fees have remained unchanged in the last 30 years. Kalwinder also said the minister had promised to meet with MMA and other stakeholders again to address concerns about the policy, but there had not been any meeting. The health ministry today announced that medicine price display at clinics would be mandatory starting tomorrow, a move strongly opposed by MMA and other medical groups. They argue that the rule should fall under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 – not the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
