Cuepacs wants IJN treatment for civil servants to be maintained

 

The government has been urged to maintain the privilege of civil servants and pensioners to receive treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Adnan Mat expressed concern that civil servants being treated for heart ailments were discharged from IJN.

“Although the Health Ministry (MOH) said the cases involved patients who are already stable, Cuepacs believes it is more appropriate for the government to continue allowing existing patients at IJN to receive the best treatment there without needing to transfer them to other hospitals owned by MOH.

“MOH itself has stated they refer complex cases and critical heart patients to IJN to reduce ‘congestion and long waiting times’ at MOH’s heart centres,” he said in a statement today.

A website recently reported that IJN has been referring its patients, who were civil servants and retirees, to MOH hospitals as part of the government’s efforts to reduce costs.

The website published a letter by an unnamed government pensioner, claiming he was discharged after receiving intensive care at IJN.

Adnan said that discharging existing patients from IJN would only cause congestion and long waiting times at MOH’s heart centres, which also had existing patients to handle.

“Such a step also causes patients discharged from IJN to wait longer for treatment since their records at other hospitals are still new and they need to make room for existing patients.

“If this continues to happen, Cuepacs is concerned that the welfare of civil servants and retirees will be overlooked, especially in receiving the best treatment when they are unwell,” he said.

Adnan suggested that the government consider alternative mechanisms if cost-cutting measures were the main cause of concern.

“Cost-saving measures should not be the basis for cutting healthcare expenditure as it is a government priority to safeguard the welfare of civil servants and retirees.

“Cost-cutting measures should target other ad hoc programmes that are not a priority at all levels of government, rather than involving matters related to the people’s basic needs,” he said.

- Bernama