Send us non-Covid-19 patients to ease congestion - private hospitals

 

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia has urged doctors in government hospitals to take up an existing offer to refer more non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals.

The association's president Dr Kuljit Singh (above) said this was based on two Health Ministry circulars, one issued last year and a more recent updated version.

"The circular enumerates all the referral policies and payment schemes by the government based on strict criteria.

"We now hope that this referral will be carried out by the treating doctors in public hospitals to private hospitals without further delay," he said in a statement.

"Postponement of elective procedures has been extensively stretched due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The public hospitals are now serving Covid-19 patients in big numbers," Kuljit said, adding that 31 private hospitals that also treated Covid-19 cases are similarly stretched in terms of resources.

However, he said the referral system would allow public hospitals to focus exclusively on treating Covid-19 patients, while private hospitals will assist with other remaining patients.

"Treatment of non-Covid 19 patients in private hospitals will be funded by the government based on the circular but patients can only be referred by their treating doctors in the public hospitals to private based on the condition of the ailment," Kuljit added. - Mkini