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Please Provide Opportunities For Better Doctors And More Effective Health Education In Malaysia Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the plea by the Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng to avoid law suits agianst hospitals. 2.6.2000 | |||||||
| Malaysian health service is not the best nor the worst in the world. The world has eradicated smallpox and there is no report of a case of poliomyelitis in Malaysia since 1997. Still, there are rooms for improvement. About 10,000 doctors in the country do not want to be sued. They all take out an insurance against such eventuality. Doctors like to prevent mistakes. This is true with the 55 per cent in the private sector or the 45 per cent in the public sector. But, to err is human. In dealing with people's life, all health personnel have preventive measures against errors. On the other hand, while most of the public are sincere, occasional patients are out to get the blood of doctors. The slightest smell of a mistake, sends this type of persons looking for ways to squeeze something out of the doctors. The Health Ministry must create opportunities for the training of better doctors. Most doctors do care. Just like all walks of life, there are occasional black sheep. The government has the responsibility in the intake of medical students, nurses and other medical personnel as well as the standard of training. After training, the atmosphere in hospitals and clinics matters. If one person makes a mistake, there are others who can detect and prevent it. What is worrying is that in the efforts to overcome the shortage of at least 712 doctors in the country and over 1,500 doctors in rural areas, the Government does not do enough to ensure quality of doctors. When medical schools take in students, do they go out of their way to ensure that these students are fit to be doctors? It it not easy to answer this question. All countries face the same dilemma. On 1 June 200, the Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng said that law suits against government | |
hospitals only jeopardise the interest of the nation and the socialised medicine practised in the country. 97 per cent of the hospital expenditure is subsidised by the Government. While hoping that all Malaysians have access to medical care, we also stress the need to have better treament. For instance, if a poor patient arrives at a government clinic, he or she should not be made to wait for hours, subjected to unfriendly behaviour from the staff members or given inadequate medical care. It is true that if the society becomes very litigious like some states in the United States of America, there will be implications. For example, doctors will be forced to take out hefty insurance against the possibility of being sued for malpractice. They may not be brave enough to attend to an injured motorist in an accident for fear of legal action. They may have to do unnecessary tests and complicated examinations to protect themselves. Finally, the patients or the public have to pay much more for the heavily insured doctors and the plethora of tests and examinations. Whatever the Health Minister's defence of his ministry, he should know that there are many things in the ministry and the hospitals which have to be improved. The appointment, promotion, remuneration of doctors and other personnel as well as the attitude of the ministry are important in creating a healthy atmosphere. With healthy atmosphere, we can hope to reduce genuine errors and malpractice to a minimum. The ministry has conducted health education. Some aspects such as the prevention of certain infectious diseases like poliomyelitis have shown results. Others are lagging behind. Greater efforts are needed to make the general public aware of the responsibility of doctors and hospitals.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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