Specialists at govt, teaching hospitals cash in on private patients

PETALING JAYA: A scheme to let government doctors earn extra income in a bid to retain them is allegedly being abused, as some senior medical consultants are said to be focused on seeing "full-paying patients" during office hours, rather than in the private wing only after office hours.
Some of these doctors, especially surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, are believed to be taking home as much as RM500,000 a year just seeing full-paying patients and doing locum duties in the private sector.
Some of these specialists are said to be seeing between 2,000 and 3,000 full-paying patients a year, so much so some of them have been asking junior doctors to see their public hospital patients, while they see full-paying patients.
There are also allegations that some of these consultants are seeing full-paying patients in the wards during office hours.
According to sources, this is happening at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), and at the Putrajaya and Selayang hospitals.
Despite this, it is understood the Health Ministry plans to open private wings in other major public hospitals.
Several patients said there is a conflict of interest in allowing government doctors to also practise in the private wings of public hospitals, as they tend to cater more to full-paying patients.
In an immediate response, UMMC director Prof Datuk Dr Ikram Shah Ismail said its private wing, the University Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC), has been in operation for 10 years.
"We have strict regulations governing doctors practising in the private wing. They are allowed only three sessions a week and that too, only in the afternoon and after office hours.
"Many a time, the doctors can have only one or two sessions a week due to the heavy commitment at UMMC," he said, adding that doctors are not allowed to transfer patients from UMMC to UMSC.
Asked if there were doctors who have been found to have violated the regulations, Ikram said there had been cases.
"Yes, we have suspended the doctors," he said, without giving any statistics.
"We are strict on this matter and will not hesitate to take action on those who flout the terms and conditions," he said, adding that doctors who practised in the private wings do not take home all the money they get as they also contribute towards the department and for the training of junior doctors.
Asked on doctors checking private patients in wards, he said they can for the safety of patients when the need arises.
Private wings were introduced at government hospitals to halt brain drain.
Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said it must be borne in mind that the scheme was introduced to provide senior doctors with additional income to offset the low salary, poor perks and promotion prospects.
However, he stressed that specialists should not abuse the noble scheme, or else the government may have to scrap it.
He urged hospitals and universities to tighten monitoring to prevent abuse of the scheme.
Tharmaseelan said MMA also hopes the government will revise and introduce more incentives, perks and allowance including fast-track promotion for senior doctors.
He said although the abuse may not be as rampant as alleged, it should be nipped in the bud or else it will mar the image of such creditable and respected institutions.