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KUALA LUMPUR: While foreigners must pay a deposit to receive treatment at government hospitals, it is not uncommon for patients to default on payments due to an inability to afford the costs.
According to doctors who have served in public hospitals, they said their main obligation is to treat patients and save lives regardless of nationality.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, several doctors confirmed that there were cases of patients absconding from the ward.
“Some of the patients just walk out (from the ward) because they cannot afford it,” said a doctor.
He said there were also patients at the billing division with no money, asking for the charges to be written off.
“While Malaysians have other avenues such as welfare aid, the same is not available for foreigners.
“Those who are legally employed would be covered by insurance,” he said while highlighting the problem with undocumented workers.
Recently, a staff member at the Emergency Department of Hospital Kuala Lumpur alleged that foreign patients seeking treatment at the facility avoid making payments by failing to bring their passports.
She claimed that foreign patients are supposed to pay a deposit of RM2,800 before being admitted to the ward, but some pretended not to carry any identification documents.
As a result, she said the hospital would issue these patients a “Lampiran A”, effectively exempting them from making any payments, although the form is not a means to waive payment.
In response, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry is investigating the allegations.
He stated that the form is strictly for emergencies requiring life-saving treatment and does not serve to waive any payment obligations.
Foreign patients are required to pay RM1,400 for medical cases or RM2,800 for surgery before ward admission, while those with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cards pay 50% of the deposit.
Another doctor, who has served in Sabah for about 14 years, said the problem is not with the “Lampiran A” but the patient’s ability to pay for the treatment afterwards.
“Lampiran A is necessary, so doctors can admit patients when the need arises.
“Otherwise, emergency departments would be overwhelmed.
“Lampiran A just means treatment first before payment, which I think is very fair,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that there have been cases where patients have absconded from their beds.
According to him, another challenge faced by doctors in Sabah is the difficulty in verifying the authenticity of the MyKad.
Retired Health Ministry director Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar also said he had encountered such cases during his service.
“However, the use of the Lampiran A form is critical to ensure that doctors can act immediately in life-threatening situations without administrative delay,” he said.
Former director of Hospital Sungai Bakap, Dr RA Lingeshwaran, called for a thorough investigation to determine if there is any “internal facilitation” (cartel) or if the issue is purely a result of patients exploiting the “Emergency Deferral” loophole.
The senator said hospitals are often left with no choice but to discharge patients who are unable to foot the bill to ensure that there are beds available for the next patient.
“At a rate of 100 deferred deposit payments per month, this translates to a deferment of between RM140,000 and RM280,000 at HKL alone for foreign patients. These are not small numbers,” he said.
Note : API is calculated based on 24hr running average of the most dominant parameter.
Source: Department of Environment, Malaysia
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