Health care at government hospitals is cheap but the other services are a let down.

COMMENT

By T Hanuratha

Healthcare in Malaysia, without doubt, has undergone tremendous positive changes compared to ten or fifteen years ago. Government hospitals are now the pillar of the nations health care system which guarantees cheap and affordable health services.

A check with the Health Ministry website revealed that there were 150 big hospitals in the country, for a population of 30 million.

Historically, health care in Malaysia has undergone fundamental transformations since the countrys independence with medical care transforming gradually to meet the medical needs of today.

Although, the number of private hospitals in Malaysia had increased, providing world class health care services, the charges imposed by these private entities could be mind boggling.

This is another reason why the Malaysian masses converge at government hospitals for their health care needs. They need not fork-out thousands of ringgit for a simple surgery at the government funded hospitals.

Primary health care costs is a mere RM1 for outpatient treatment and RM5 for specialist care. And this includes obstetricians, gynecologists and pediatricians. Senior citizens need not pay a single sen for health care.

While all these policies and the way the system operates had brought benefit to Malaysians, there are several areas which need to be looked into, especially at government hospitals.

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