Support Black Monday campaign, MMA tells private clinic doctors

 

The Malaysian Medical Association said doctors could participate in the Black Monday campaign by wearing black at their clinics on Dec 9 and demanding reforms on social media. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Malaysian Medical Association is calling on general practitioners (GPs) to participate in the Black Monday campaign on Dec 9 to demand urgent reforms for the sector.

In a statement, MMA said GPs in the country’s 12,000 clinics face decades-long issues such as outdated fee schedules, the absence of regulation for third-party administrators (TPAs) and policies that disrupt clinic operations – all of which affects the sustainability of private clinics and compromises access to quality care.

It said general practitioners could participate in the Black Monday campaign by wearing black at their clinics on Dec 9 and demanding reforms on social media.

Meanwhile, the public can support the campaign by changing their profile pictures on social media to black or monochrome, and sharing posts online to raise awareness about the issues facing GPs.

“Wearing black symbolises solidarity among GPs and the challenges that are hindering their ability to provide optimal care. It also represents the urgent need for reform to ensure the sustainability and safety of the healthcare profession in Malaysia,” it said in the statement.

It said GPs in Malaysia were raising these concerns as their fees, regulated by law under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act since 2006, were still based on the MMA fee schedule from 1992.

It said that with only the minister having the power to revise these fees, GPs were at the mercy of the government and were “struggling” to sustain their clinics amid rising costs.

It also highlighted the lack of regulation among TPAs, which act as middlemen between clinics and employers by managing employee health benefits.

MMA said while GPs provided these services, TPAs charged them fees which increased costs, delayed payments, and added administrative burdens on GPs.

“Despite them managing health benefits for over three million employees, there is no ministry overseeing their operations – leading to financial strain on clinics and compromising patient care,” said MMA.

It added that price display policies would impact GP clinics by oversimplifying the cost structure of professional healthcare services.

MMA said GPs provided medication as part of a treatment plan tailored to patients, and the gross profit from medicines was critical for covering operational costs, rental, salaries, maintenance and medical devices.

It also said patients might perceive prices as high without understanding that these costs sustained the clinic’s ability to provide quality care.

MMA also said unlicensed practices were encroaching into the role of licensed GPs and that this undermines regulated healthcare providers, risks patient safety and compromises the quality of care.

This, it said, creates a double standard where unregistered facilities operate without oversight while GPs face strict regulations and micromanagement.

“The government must ensure that all healthcare providers adhere to the same regulatory standards to protect patients and support ethical primary care practices,” it said. - FMT