Saturday, January 01, 2005

Any Stuff MOH




This blog is dedicated to bringing news regarding the MINIstry of Health [some out there calls it the MINIstry of Hell and some MIsery of Health] and its new MINIster, who like the proverbial new broom, promised plenty when he newly came on the scene after replacing his fellow Chua, one also called Jimmy. But promises are just that when they are not kept and it is people like me and you who need to make use of gomen health facilities who continue to suffer in silence. He started off his MINIstry job with a bang announcing that the notoriously long waiting time in the Outpatient Dept of Hospitals would be drastically reduced by half. That was in April 2004 and till now one has to wait to see any significant drop in waiting time. He next came out with the idea that doctors in private practice should be roped in to do time in gomen hospitals. This idea when last heard of, we were told that only one had responded. Many of my friends in private practice tell me that they have yet to hear from the MOH, one tells me he has just received the letter, Garispandian Pengambilan Pakar Swasta untuk Berkhidmat di-Hospital Hospital Kerajaan recently! So much for MOH efficiency.
Recently the deputy MINIster of Health announced that dispensaries in gomen hospital would be piratised, i mean privatised. Sufferers of lifestyle diseases aka diseases of civilisation, who require medication for a long period of time, and quite a number of this medications are expensive, might have to buy their own medications, paying out from their own pockets. This announcement was said to be just the imagination of some reporters and that the MOH never really had such thoughts. This was revealed after a delegation led by NGOs turned up to protest at the MOH.
There are going to be many changes to be enforced by the MOH and gomen and all these will be affecting us. Issues like national health insurance, private wings in gomen hospitals and decentralisation of gomen hospitals among others are issues we need to keep abreast of.
So from the above, one can reasonably conclude that the MOH and the MINIster and his deputy need looking after. It is pretty obvious up till now that the new MINIster, even though he is a medical doctor, needs some 'minding' for he must be pretty out of touch with how things are being run by the MOH, more on this later.
Feedback and contributions by other who are like minded regarding the MOH are welcomed. But please bear in mind that whatever feedback, comments and contributions are made solely with the purpose of getting the MOH to be a better health provider for those of us who have to make use of gomen health facilities.



No comments: