General practitioners have become an endangered species

LETTER | The medical fraternity is deeply disappointed with the recent cabinet decision to turn down the request to harmonise the fees of general practitioners (GPs), while on the other hand approving drug price control at private clinics.

As it stands the current GP fees of RM10 to RM35 per consultation is based on the MMA fees schedule of 1992, that is 27 years ago and with no change. Nowhere else have prices remained static for more than a quarter of a century.

Please note that the maximum fee, RM35, is only for complex cases, which may take the doctor half-an-hour or more to manage. The charge for simple cases is supposed to be only RM10!

Like all other private entities in this country, GP practices were subjected to rising costs for the past 27 years. However, because of the Fee Schedule, GPs have to subsidise all these costs without any ability to cushion its effects. It is only because GPs can provide medicines to their patients that they have been able to survive (albeit barely).

With the proposed drug price control, the eventual outcome will be the total devastation of GP practice and the mass closure of many clinics. This will ultimately endanger the lives and health of the more than three million patients under Managed Care Organisations and many more million members of the general public that depend on GP clinics for their daily healthcare.

The government of Malaysia, in its commitment to sustainable and equitable healthcare, has repeatedly vouched on its intention to enhance primary care and GP practice, but in reality, has never "walked the talk"

The contributions of the GPs to essential healthcare for more than 50 years have been totally ignored by the government and, in fact, the enactments of endless regulations and requirements have left many practising and aspiring GPs totally disillusioned and devastated.

The new government of Malaysia should stop these short-term populist measures and rhetoric that have no place in real public health interest, but instead, work with stakeholders and GPs towards a fair and equitable healthcare system that will benefit all.

Any government that had been voted in must have the moral obligation to work towards a healthcare system that is fair, high quality and accessible to the public everywhere, be it in the government or private sector. In simple terms, stop victimising the GPs and support them to provide high quality care to the public, instead of sounding the death knell for GPs leaving millions of ordinary Malaysians nowhere to go but to flood the overburdened government health clinics that are bursting at the seams, with at times not enough referral letters just to refer patients, let alone have the drugs and medicines required.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.