Friday, June 02, 2017

Treatments You Can Get For As Low As RM1 At Malaysian Government Hospitals

Treatments You Can Get For As Low As RM1 At Malaysian Government Hospitals

Health is wealth, and in most cases, your health has a direct correlation with your wealth. With medical costs expected to increase by 17.3%, there’s the never-ending concern of what’s going to happen when you or your family member falls ill. Would you be able to afford the best treatment?
Budget 2017 saw RM25 billion being allocated to boost quality of healthcare and the health of the people in the country. This will include a total of RM536 million being allocated for upgrading of hospital facilities. Yet even with a higher budget this year compared to the previous Budget, treatment costs for the first and second classes in government hospitals are expected to increase, according to recent reports.
Despite the expected increase, public hospitals will still be more affordable than private hospitals..

Which class are you in?

There are three classes in government hospitals that are being offered different types or levels of services, and facilities. The fees you need to pay differ for all three classes of patients.
A woman named Loretta who regularly goes to a public hospital explains that when you register for treatment, you are automatically placed in the third class. “You can always move to a higher class after that,” she further explains. “So if I find myself needing a more quiet room to rest, I would request to be sent to second class.”
Rooms in the third class are often packed with up to six people or more, depending on the volume of patients on that day. Regardless of which class you’re in though, you will get the same level and quality of treatment from the medical personnel.
If you are admitted to a government hospital for any type of infectious diseases or illnesses, all charges will be exempted.
For other type of sickness, your charges will only be waived, or you will be given a special discount if you meet the following criteria:
  • Earning below RM300/month
  • Holding a Social Welfare or National Islamic Council (MAIK) card
  • Disabled person
  • Student
  • Government servants
Malaysians who hold certain positions in the government, such as those who serve the army and special officials of the government are automatically placed in first class and have their treatments paid for by the government.
As mentioned earlier, the quality of treatment would still be the same regardless of which class you’re in. With that in mind, here are some of the treatments you can get from government hospitals that are affordable.

1. Outpatient treatments

Image from The Star
Whether it’s the big or regional government hospitals, or the government clinic, all outpatient visits and diagnosis are RM1. The cost only goes up when you have to see a specialist, such as those who have to follow-up after being warded or were referred to by government medical doctors. These follow-ups usually cost RM5 per visit.
Outpatient Visits
Government Hospitals
District Hospitals
1Malaysia Clinics
Fees
RM1
RM1
RM1
Types of Referral
Fees
Referral from government medical officer
Free for the first visit, then RM5 for every follow-up (inclusive of enquiries)
Referral from a private doctor
RM30 for the first visit, RM5 for every follow-up (not inclusive of enquiries)
Follow-up cases after released from ward
RM5 for each treatment (inclusive of enquiries)

2. Accouchement and delivery

For birth via normal delivery, the cost is only RM10 for those in the third class. However, other types of delivery will incur different costs.
Types of Delivery
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Caesarean Surgery
RM800
RM400
RM100
Normal Delivery
RM300
RM150
RM10
Based on our previous article, a Caesarean delivery in a private hospital can cost about RM17,000!

3. Physiotherapy

If you’re in need of physiotherapy, the treatments at the government hospital is pretty affordable. All physiotherapy treatments for those in the second and third class are either RM10 or below. So whether it’s lumber or cervical traction, electric or controlled muscle tests, hydrotherapy, mobilisation and more, they’re all available for RM10 and below.  The lowest cost being physiotherapy recovery exercises in the gym for only RM1 for those in the third class!
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Physiotherapy
RM5 to RM20
RM3 to RM10
RM1 to RM5

4. Daily medical charges

When you are admitted, you will need medical treatment and government hospitals keep the cost standard no matter what medication and attention you need. Admitted patients being treated in the first class will be charged RM10 per day for medical charges. Second class will only have to pay RM5, while third class won’t be charged.
As for admission to ward fees, it will be as low as RM3 per night in the third class. But if you’re opting for a more comfortable room which includes air-conditioning, it’s RM80 per night for first class.
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Admission to ward
RM80/night
(with air-conditioning)
RM20/night
RM3/night
Daily medical charges
RM10
RM5
FREE

5. X-rays

For x-rays, there are only two types that are under the RM10 and below category; Superficial X-ray Therapy and Radium Treatment. Both of them are priced as RM10 for first class, RM5 for second class and RM2 for third class.
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
X-Ray Therapy (Superficial)
RM10 per treatment
RM5 per treatment
RM2 per treatment
Radium Treatment
RM10 per treatment
RM5 per treatment
RM2 per treatment

6. Cancer treatment

The biggest concern, of course, is the cost of treatment for cancer. The cost of cancer treatment can cost anywhere between RM60,000 to RM395,000 in a private hospital, depending on the type of cancer and what stage of cancer you’re in.

With government hospitals, the cost of treatment for specific therapies will be significantly lower:
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Chemotherapy
RM200 per treatment
RM100 per treatment
RM50 per treatment
Isotope Radioactive Therapy
RM500
RM250
RM125

7. Haemodialysis

For those in need of kidney dialysis, government hospitals offer as low as RM10 in the third class. For those in the first class, the highest is RM125.
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Haemodialysis
RM50 to RM125
RM20 to RM50
RM10 to RM25

8. Psychiatric

For those seeking psychiatric treatment, it’s absolutely free for third class patients. However, for those in the first class, it’s RM750 per visit. While the free treatment is, of course, ideal, getting a slot may prove to be a challenge.
Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Psychiatry
RM750 per visit
RM300 per visit
FREE

9. Dental

Image from Says.com
General treatments for dental such as extraction, filling, inlay, and crown for each tooth, scaling and endodontic treatment, are free for those in the third class and below RM5 for outpatient. Extraction and filling for each tooth is below RM10 for the second class.
Dental Treatment
First Class fee
Second Class fee
Third Class fee
Outpatient fee
Extraction-For each tooth
RM 15
RM 6
FREE
RM 1
Filling-for each tooth
RM 20
RM 8
FREE
RM 2
Inlay (but not including cost of metal)-for each tooth
RM 40
RM 16
FREE
RM 3
Crown (but not including cost of metal)-for each tooth
RM 40
RM 16
FREE
RM 3
Scaling-for each treatment
RM 40
RM 16
FREE
RM 2
Endodontic treatment
RM 55
RM 22
FREE
RM 4

It’s a good deal but…

With the skyrocketing treatment costs, Malaysians who do not have medical insurance may find it impossible to seek treatment from a private healthcare facility, which is a common problem in Malaysia. Government hospitals offer affordable and quality treatments and healthcare to all Malaysians, regardless of their income range.
Yet private hospitals continue to flourish, proving that Malaysians are increasingly turning to private healthcare. According to Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam, health spending has more than doubled in 17 years per person.
The reason for this? According to this report, public hospitals are often over-crowded, and the long waiting list is a turn-off for those who would like to be treated as soon as possible. Appointments are done with the convenience of the patient in mind at private hospitals, where you are able to rest and recover comfortably and there are no restrictions for visits from friends and family.
Government Hospitals can get overcrowded – Image by The Star
There have also been plenty of bad experiences at government hospitals that have been shared by Malaysians throughout the years. It’s no wonder many view government hospitals as the last resort for medical treatment.
But with the government putting more focus on healthcare, it’s showing signs of improvement in delivering better quality service, with waiting times cut by 50% and more facilities to treat more illnesses.
According to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the medical and health charges imposed by government hospitals are the cheapest in the world, with the government subsiding 98% of the medical cost per patient.
With lower cost, demand will obviously surge. At the end of the day, you need to balance the pros and cons of paying more for supposedly better service and shorter waiting time versus paying a fraction of the cost but waiting longer for treatment. Access to treatment should not be a problem for Malaysians, either at public or private hospitals.

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