Malaysia gives green light to higher GP fees

PETALING JAYA – The Malaysian government has given the nod to revising the consultation fees of general practitioners (GPs), with an announcement to be made before May.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has given the go-ahead for the fee revision. The National Action Council on Cost of Living has also agreed to it, he added.

“We are in the final stages of discussion with the government agencies to determine the GPs’ consultation fees,” he told a press conference on March 13.

Currently, the fees range from RM10 (S$3) to RM35, but the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malay­sia has sought for them to range from RM50 to RM150.

A March 6 statement from the association said the fees had been capped back in 2006, and noted that costs have gone up over the years, with many smaller clinics having to shut down.

Datuk Seri Dzulkefly also spoke about the requirement for private clinics to display ­the prices of medicine starting on May 1.

According to him, private hospitals are ready to do so, but private GPs were prepared to comply only if their consultation fees under Schedule 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act were revised.

“I have given my assurance to the GPs that I will continue to fight for this issue, and I anticipate the support from them for the price display rule come May 1,” he said.

“The price display will enable patients to make informed decisions about the choices of treatment while pushing for competitive market forces. This will also indirectly help reduce the issue of medical inflation.”

Following a discussion with GPs, he said these clinics would be ready to comply with the price display requirement if there was a revision of the Schedule 7 consultation