MY appeal goes out to the authorities to look into the plight of a retired government servant whose claim for purchase of a bilevel positive airway pressure (BIPAP) machine was rejected.
In 2003, the retired government servant went to the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for a check-up and was told that he had two blockages in his heart. In May 2003, he was referred to IJN. In 2004, a coronary artery bypass grafting was done for three to four blocks. The pensioner has been receiving follow-up care at IJN. He was admitted multiple times for breathing difficulties.
In April 2018, he was admitted again due to high levels of carbon dioxide in his body. Fresh oxygen supply was given in IJN but after constant monitoring of arterial blood gasses, carbon dioxide reading was still high. The next option that IJN did was continuous positive airway pressure and the result was the same. Finally after BIPAP the readings started to reduce. The doctor in IJN recommended the device must be procured via a vendor before he could be discharged from IJN.
On the advice of the doctor the family took a loan and bought the unit after a week’s trial in hospital and with the approval of the doctor and comfort level of the patient and was then discharged. The patient is still using the device until today.
The pensioner submitted the claim to the Public Service Department which then asked him to refer it to the finance division of the Health Ministry. The claim was rejected on the basis that the treatment and doctor was not from a government sector.
Bearing in mind that he was referred to the IJN by UMMC only speaks for itself that the treatment all the while was supported by the government as it was covered by the government. Hence his claim to the ministry.
When a family member of the pensioner went to the IJN to get a copy of the medical report to submit to the ministry, he was told that that the pensioner has now to go back to a government hospital and go through the whole rigmarole again to get treated and to get a report from the government hospital.
The pensioner is in no position to run from one hospital to another for this and gets a small pension every month. He has already bought the device and has to be on it for life.
The ministry should review such cases and find a solution to the plight of the pensioner.
RI Uma
Penang
