MMA: Don’t use Emergency Ordinance to bully private hospitals

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 15): The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said the Emergency Ordinance announced by the government should be used responsibly and not to bully the private healthcare sector in order to use its resources.

MMA president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said the government should provide clear guidelines and direction in policies for the private healthcare sector instead of threatening to fine private hospitals which do not cooperate in managing the pandemic.

It should also take time to understand the private healthcare ecosystem before deciding on any policies, he said in a statement today.

Yesterday Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government was considering putting in place an Emergency Ordinance (EO) under the state of emergency, subject to the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Under the EO, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has the power to direct private hospitals to take in Covid-19 patients and action can be taken against them if they refuse.

“For the record, the private healthcare sector has been consistently offering their services in the battle against Covid-19 from the very start of the pandemic.

“It must also be noted that most of the private hospitals are owned by government-linked companies where the government as a shareholder is a beneficiary of its profits and dividends,” said Subramaniam.

He said the EO should be used for a collaborative approach in finding and hastening solutions by cutting red tape and removing regulatory burdens for seamless implementation.

“The 7,000 MoH trained general practitioners (GPs) were sidelined from the start of the pandemic and throughout most of 2020 in the fight against Covid-19. MMA has been regularly advising the government on the important role of GPs in this pandemic. It is hoped the GPs will be roped in more effectively and be involved in the policy making in managing Covid-19 in primary care.

“Previously many GPs were reluctant to see upper respiratory infections for fear of closure of their clinics and vague quarantine criteria from MoH. MMA’s numerous letters to the ministry and meetings with government officials seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” Subramaniam added.

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