1Malaysia Clinics: Letter from Dr Gnanasegaran Xavier, Family Physician Penang

This letter was cc'd to me on 21 Nov 2009

Dear Dato Dr.Teh, (Penang State Director of Health)

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I think we should do a pilot project amongst GP Clinics interested to become 1 Malaysia Clinics. To become 1 Malaysia Clinics maybe we can request the doctors to at least have a diploma in Family Medicine organized by the Academy of Family Physicians. If the pilot project is a failure we can always discontinue it. But if it is a success I think many people would gain and it would be a win win situation.

For the management of chronic cases these clinics could be used. I had asked about the cost incurred by KKM in managing chronic cases like Diabetes Mellitus during the Nadi Conference. If cost incurred by KKM and the private clinics are going to be similar than we can always use these clinics to manage the chronic cases. This would definitely reduce the work load at the Klinik Kesihatan. I have attached here a Diabetic case. With Amputation of toes and another management of Diabetes Mellitus with gross protein urea.

I also had dissccused with Dato Dr.Christhoper Lee about H1N1 Management by GP Clinics and being reimbursed by KKM. Would management of H1N1 be better if there is combined effort?

At the moment I feel the General Practitioners are neglected and we should bring them into the main stream. KKM can definitely monitor these Clinics and make sure they meet the required standard. I think if we put all our heads together we can have an excellent GP force in the country.

 Mr.Palani ,Dr.Hooi and I are already preparing for the 13^th Teaching Course for GP’s from 23th September 2010 to 26^th September 2010. Attached also is the previous feedback for the 12^th Teaching Course. This course was motivated by our late Dr.M.K Raj Kumar and it is now going to its 13^th year.

I help out the Tzu Chi Dialysis centre at Bagan Ajam (voluntary) and I notice most of the people undergoing Dialysis there are due to end stage renal failure from Diabetes Mellitus. If we can prevent an amputation of a single toe and prevent one Diabetes Mellitus patient from becoming End Stage Renal failure than I believe we have achieved something very great.

1 Malaysia Clinics should not be a political issue but should be a KKM issue.

Regards,

Dr. Gnanasegaran Xavier

MBBS FAFP FRACGP CIME AM