1 Malaysia Clinics appear set to take off despite MMA's Concerns

Below is a recent letter to the MMA Exco from a MMA Leader, Dr Jeganathan from Kota Bharu, who has expressed serious concerns as the continued push to start of 1Malaysia Clinics by the MOH. Please consider seriously the implications, and whether we should urgently convene a signature campaign, opposing the move.

"Dear All,

I was hoping there would be a favorable response from the Ministry about the one Malaysia clinic, but from today's news looks like we have failed to convince them.

The very detailed article article by the President Dr. David Quek and the other one by Dr. Sarjeet should have been sufficient to convince them, but I think it has not reached the decision makers. I suggest these articles be published in the newspapers so the public is also aware of the issues, and maybe indirectly reach those who can make decisions. The council should take the lead in this matter,

The problem now is real we have to makedecisions because  the idea of having MAs operating clinics in urban areas will ruin the  moraleand  the spirit  of the profession as a whole.Is this what MMA the Largest Ass of Doctors going to allow to happen. If the Govt feels private practise should abolished then nationalize all over clinics,but not to insult us and break our spirit as Doctors. I will not go into all the details why this should not happen but what we can do to relocate this clinics.

We have 20,000 Doctors to the few whom i spoke no one is for the 1 malaysia clinic in urban areas so

1. Find ways to meet the PM and to start this one Malaysia clinics in rural areas.

2. Form a emergency committe to and draft a letter stating all the reasons why the 1 Malaysia should not operate at its present form, and collect signatures first from the Doctors in MMC and then all the 20,000 doctors who are registered  and submit it to the relevant authorities and also the PMS dept. Please don't think it cant be done: appoint a few in each state and get them to sign, don't force them, everyone whom I have talked to is willing. WE had done this for the private health. Dr.Tharma should be able to brief you on that.

3. Ask all the states to have a meeting and decide what other action should be taken because as far as i know none of the doctors are happy.

4. Have a Forum on this issue urgently and get other ideas from members and non members.

5. Can we email this to all our State Reps and have their input.

If what 20,000 Doctors dont think it is right to implement this in its present form and if we cant do anything about it ,then there is something reallywrong with us .

Urgent decision is required; for KB I Can organize the signatures once the letter is ready, please make the letters short so doctors can read it before signing it.

Regards

Jega (Dr N. Jeganathan, Kota Bharu)"

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Earlier Dato' Dr Norul Ameen has this to say:

Dear All,

 

I read with disgust about the so called 1 Malaysia clinic not because it is a ridiculous concept but because I don't understand the 1 Malaysia concept itself.  To me it is nothing but a political hype like the astronaut fiasco. Who is going to benefit from this. Millions were spent to sent one person up to space and at the end of the day how did the citizen of this country benefit.  Like wise who is ultimately  going to benefit from this 1 Malaysia clinic or more aptly who are going to be the losers.

 

I wonder who came up with this 1 Malaysia clinic, as the writer of the article has correctly said the government should be looking at providing better accessibility to health care to the rural people and not to the urban people. The government should be looking at proving tertiary care which is becoming more and more costly than spending money to develop primary care and more so in urban areas. something is fundamentally wrong with the Ministry of health's plan in providing health care to it's citizens.

 

The success is measured by how the government has made health care accessible to all level of citizen's than to come up with programs to increase accessibility of health care to that population which is adequately covered. I think the joint forum of all Medical organizations must come out very forcefully to denounce this absurd idea.

 

Those of us who been around long enough will know nothing is going to come out of this 1 Malaysia concept. If the government is truly interested in promoting 1 Malaysia it can be done without spending any money, and that is when parents go to register their child in the registration department to register the birth of their child they should be allowed to write the RACE of the child as MALAYSIAN. If they continue to have the column of Race to be filled up how can we ever be 1 Malaysia.

 

Dr Ameen