PHCFS REGULATIONS AMENDMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, 22nd July 2010

Well after 4 years of the regulations being launched in 2006 by YB Dato Dr Chua Soi Lek, we are still haggling over the amendments to the regulations. I think that it is fair to say that the regulations were so poorly drafted. The Act itself, comes in three parts, viz, those governing the private clinics ( small book ), those governing the dental clinics ( small book ), and those governing healthcare facilities and private hospitals ( big book ).
Hopefully, after yesterday's meeting ( we spend the whole afternoon haggling ), we have finished amending the small book, except the professional fees schedule. The fees schedule is causing so much headache, from all the stakeholders, that it is always in dispute. This will allow the rest of the amendments to pass through and have the Minister sign in. Then the regulations can be fairer and better for the doctors and patients.
In fact, we have asked MOH to consider, de-linking the fees schedule from the rest of the regulations. In fact, I made a proposal that we should scrap the fees schedule. Of course MOH said that is not possible. I proposed that we scrap it ( fees schedule or schedule 13 ), because, no doctor seem to agree with it, and so the more adventurous amongst us will think of ways and means to overcome it " legally ", making policing extremely difficult and tedious. By capping fees, we are not actually a free market. Anyway, how come professional fees are being capped ( 15% of overall fees ) when hospital fees are not ( 85% of overall fees ). Seems like severe discrimination.
For my friend out there who was advising me, yesterday when I raised the issue about capping hospital fees, the Chairperson ( she had two meetings ago raised the issue of looking into the possibility of having a hospital fees schedule ), now says that it is not possible. I must say that I am not surprised. Many things can happen in three months, to change some people's mind.
What to do? Now they are talking about transforming the whole system.
Malaysia boleh.