Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian Private General Practitioners (GPS) quotes operation issues and quotes medical inflation to require significant increase in counseling costs.
This expresses anxiety about calling hiking costs in fear of economic and accessibility as the medical and premiums increase with consumers.
The private medical practitioners’ Association Malaysia (FPMPAM) is currently urged to increase fees from RM10 (S $ 3) to RM35, and fees from RM50 to RM150.
Dr. Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson, chairman of the group, said that this is just “long -term correction” rather than a sudden surge in prices.
Dr. Shanmuganathan said on March 6 that the consultation fee structure has not been changed for 19 years since 2006 despite the increase in rents, utility, employee salaries and medical supplies.
“Many small clinics are closed, forcing patients to get more expensive hospital treatment,” he said.
There are about 8,000GP The country’s clinic fell from about 9,800 in 2022. FPMPAM represents more than 5,000 members.
Dr. Shanmuganathan suggested that a new fee will be adjusted regularly based on medical inflation for three to five years.
His calling followed anger at the increase of 40 %to 70 %, which was planned by raising the health insurance premiums of providers in December 2025 in December 2025.
Following the public cry, the government announced a temporary measure on December 20, including the increase in premiums over three years and imposing an annual upper limit as a premium.
Then, on January 1, the University Malaya Medical Center, one of Malaysia’s largest public hospitals, raised the cost of service to Klang Valley residents with a large proportion of KLANG VALLEY residents, and professional counseling fees were more than doubled to RM50 and the general clinic visited three times more at the RM15.
MS SUEE TIONG, 45, A The manager of the information technology company said that after adding the specified antibiotics and RM25 consultation costs, they visited GP with their children with the flu.
“Bugs come back with the children with two schools. So I almost visit each month. If the first prescribed drug does not work, one child may have to visit twice. This adds an additional RM160 a month.
She said she had to prescribe stronger antibiotics, which her medical expenses could be easier than the RM100.
“In the case of intermediate income families with children, it definitely has a big impact,” she said.She added that she would go to a public health clinic claiming for RM1 per visit and save medical expenses for her checkups..
DZULKEFLY AHMAD Malaysia Minister Malaysia said in Congress that his ministry worked with the National Statistical Office (DOSM) to determine the scope of the private GP consultation fee.
Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, a chief statistical scholar of DOSM, said the straits Times will collect and analyze prices to ensure accurate data on this process. According to the FPMPAM, cumulative inflations since 2006 have been about 60 %to 70 %, and the existing RM10-RM35 is old.
In the statement, only inflation said that the same GP counseling fee should be RM16 ~ RM60 today.
“But the expansion of medical costs (which surpasses general inflation) proposes a fair fee for the RM150 in the RM50, which matches the actual operating cost.” FPMPAM said.
MMA (Malaysian Medical Association) emphasized in a statement that the fee structure was implemented since 1992 as of March 5.
Kalwinder Singh Khaira MMA said that despite repeated demands for adjustment, it has not increased over the past 33 years and the exponentially increased clinic operating costs.
Dr. KALWINDER Said.
The MMA also argued that the increase in regulatory demands, including the price labeling requirements for drugs, is a burden on GPS.
In November 2024, Dr. DZULKEFLY said the government would be obliged to exhibit drug prices to prevent private medical facilities from 2025 to prevent any prices.
DZULKEFLY AHMAD Malaysia Minister Malaysia said that private medical facilities should now display drug prices.Photo: Daily News
Calwinder According to a 2017 MMA study in February, 30 %of the clinic is operated due to losses, 30 %are rarely damaged, 30 %survive but does not grow, and only 10 %are in financial health.
He argued that 60 %of the GP clinic faced financial burden, which would lead to more regulatory burden without economic protection.
Nevertheless, concerns about the potential burden on the patient still remain.
Dr. LIM CHEE HAN, a senior researcher at the non -profit research clothes Third World Network, warned that due to the increase to the RM50 for counseling, many patients could pivot with cheaper government clinics and worsen the burden of overloaded medical systems.
Dr. LIM said, “Most patients can’t afford the cost of the RM50’s consultation, excluding drug costs.”
“This will definitely push many people into the government clinic.”
There are 1,097 government clinics nationwide.
Dr. LIM also said that many GP clinics often surpass the costs of pharmacies by increasing the price of drugs.
“The government must adjust the scheduled fee range, but it should not fit the level required by the MMA unless the numbers are justified. At the same time, the medical price labeling policy must be implemented first, and the medical price regulatory mechanism must be entered to control the markup of medical products later, ”LIM added.
For consultation with GPs who owned private clinics in Bukit Damansara, the claims of RM25 and RM30 agreed that the fees should increase, especially as the cost of operating the clinic in Kuala Lumpur.
“Our counseling fees have not been equivalent to inflation over the past 20 years,” he said.
“Everyone should have good medical services, but our GPS is a better business.” Fear of public backlash.
- Hazlin Hassan is a Malaysian correspondent of The Straits Times.
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