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Corporatisation or Privatization of Government Hospitals and Clinics. Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the Cabinet decision to call off the proposal to privatize government hospitals on 14 August 1999. | |||||||
| As the country waits for the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir to announce the date of the general elections, the Barisan Nasional Government has been serving good news and largess through the mass media. There is not a single bad thing that the Government has done. On the other hand, opposition news is scarcely noticeable. The voice of the Prime Minister is everywhere, lambasting opposition parties such as DAP and explaining government policies. Is he always right? Although the Health Minister Dato' Chua Jui Meng said yesterday that the scrapping of corporatisation plan for hospitals had nothing to do with the coming general elections, the people know better. Health care is a bottomless pit. No government can provide all the services. On the other hand, if the private sector is based solely on profits, | |
it cannot cater for the poor. Over the last decade, the Government has various privatization projects including the medical store that provides drugs and other services to government hospitals and clinics. The people are concerned with the appointment of a consortium as concessionaire for the medical store and the effects of the privatization on the quality of drugs and services. We do not know whether the Government will reconsider corporatising or privatizing hospitals after the general elections. Meanwhile, the crux of the matter is the new health care system including a comprehensive health care insurance. If the Government cares for the people, it should review the quality of care in all government hospitals and clinics: the long queue, the waiting list and the attitude of health care personnel. Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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