PAY RISE FOR PRIVATE DOCTORS

I almost forgot.

I spend the whole of yesterday afternoon at the MOH, to discuss amendments to the fees schedule mandated in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Regulations. We had help from some unexpected quarters. The meeting ( these meetings had been going on for months with any action ) began by the chairman ( Deputy DG- Bahagian Amalan MOH ), informing us that the Prime Minister is enquiring why private doctors are so lowly paid ( I almost fell off my chair ). Apparent a patient complaint to him. He has asked at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, for MOH to look into it and report back to the cabinet. So the Minister-MOH, is asking the Task Force for the Fees Schedule Amendment, to look into it quickly and make a proposal.

I had proposed at the previous meeting in early September that as an interim measure, all fees in the fees schedule to be raised by a factor of 30% to keep up with inflation. We are mindful of the fact that the 13th fees schedule was based on the MMA 4th schedule which was drawn up in yr 2000, and it is now 2010. Adjusting for an annual inflation of 3% over 10 years, we have asked for an increase, across the board of 30%. This was accepted and we are now rushing through all the details so that we can present a draft to the cabinet hopefully by the second week of October. The next committee meeting to finalise this is on 7th October. Of course, the draft will include all that is missing from the 13th schedule and all the anomalies hopefully will be corrected. No more multiple codings, and unbundling. The final draft will be presented to the cabinet, then given to AG chambers for " legalising " and then implementation.

Let see what happens. It is almost too good to be true. I won't go and order my new car just yet.

ALL FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS WELCOMED. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE TASK FORCE COMMITTEE IS ON 7th Oct 2010, to finalise.