tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157320722007-11-08T03:23:34.313+08:00Coalition Against Health Care PrivatisationCAHCPBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1144503642801390142006-04-08T21:32:00.000+08:002006-04-12T12:09:15.416+08:00We have movedThe website of the Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation has moved. You can now find us here.CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1142682251105250232006-03-18T19:12:00.000+08:002006-03-23T18:53:23.860+08:00Who is calling the shots in health care?The Coalition met Health Ministry Director General Dr Ismail Merican in Putrajaya on 14 March 2006. The meeting started with Ismail citing time constraints to the "star-studded" cast from the Coalition, giving them just one hour to cover all the issues.
There were around 40 people in the room - 30 from the Coalition and 10 from the Health Ministry and department. With the clock ticking away, itCAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1142426619258165982006-03-15T20:29:00.001+08:002006-03-15T21:06:27.190+08:00Coalition raises host of questions at dialogue with Health MinistryWe need some answers now. The Coalition raised three main areas of concern during its dialogue session with the Ministry on 14 March 2006: the "full-paying" patients proposal, the secrecy over the identity of the consultants hired to design the blueprint for the proposed national health care financing mechanism, and the proposal to get migrant workers to pay much higher private sector medical CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1141993482178908362006-03-10T20:09:00.000+08:002006-03-10T22:20:42.240+08:00After sustained pressure, TOR finally revealedIt's finally out. After sustained pressure from the Coalition, the Health Ministry has revealed the terms of reference (TOR) for the consultants it is engaging to design a detailed blueprint for the implementation of the national health care financing mechanism. The terms were revealed in a letter to the coalition dated 22 February 2006 from Dr Rosnah Hadis, director of the Ministry's planning CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1140260520654558542006-02-18T18:47:00.000+08:002006-02-18T19:02:04.810+08:00If the Health Minister doesn't know, then who does?Very strange. Health Minister Chua Soi Lek doesn't seem to know anything about the consultants who are supposed to look into the proposed health care financing scheme - or so he says. He doesn't seem to know anything about their terms of reference either. Apparently, the matter is in the hands of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), which comes under the Prime Minister's Department.
Changes in the CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1139993958620020012006-02-15T16:35:00.000+08:002006-02-15T17:18:25.923+08:00Chua's response to blitz raises more questionsHealth Minister Chua Soi Lek has responded to the Coalition's leafleting blitz yesterday by arguing that the proposal to allow government specialists to provide private treatment to patients after working hours does not amount to privatisation.
He said it is to help the specialists earn more money, optimise their professions and skills, and stop them from being "abused" by patients who can CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1139838867642134282006-02-13T21:41:00.000+08:002006-02-14T19:24:38.633+08:00Coalition activists blitz hospitals with thousands of leafletsIn a coordinated blitz, Coalition activists launched a lightning leafleting campaign at nine government hospitals today, distributing more than 20,000 leaflets to patients, hospital staff, visitors and other passers-by.
Activists distributed the leaflets in general hospitals in Penang, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. The leaflets titled "Do Not Destroy Government CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1138975156895668072006-02-03T21:55:00.000+08:002006-02-03T22:00:09.276+08:00Privatisation by other namesCivil society groups worry that private sector interests will soon dominate the country's water and health care sectors and burden the public -- despite government assurances that these areas will be spared privatisation.
Authorities are busy revamping the way these two sectors are managed and financed, and the coming months will be crucial as blueprints and enabling CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1138617981907329852006-01-30T18:36:00.000+08:002006-02-02T17:57:12.813+08:00Sorry, we can't tell you, it's confidential, says EPUIt's a secret, says the government's Economic Planning Unit.
The Coalition has received a reply from the EPU on 27 January 2006 to its letter dated 14 December 2006 (see below).
Basically, they are saying that they will take into consideration the Coalition's suggestions and proposals in appointing the consultants who will be tasked with formulating the national health financing mechanism. The CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1138106849952418592006-01-24T20:11:00.000+08:002006-01-24T21:07:24.446+08:00Better treatment for full-paying patients; inferior service to the poorIn Ismail Merican's response to P Ramakrishnan's criticism of moves to allow government specialists to provide "private treatment" after working hours, the Health Ministry Director General said that the Aliran president had based his comments on an erroneous inference. Ismail said:
...the inference that the Government will extend the working hours of specialists — requiring them to provide "CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1138008700390410932006-01-23T17:15:00.000+08:002006-01-23T17:41:12.526+08:00Poor will not be affected, says Health Ministry DGIsmail Merican (pic right), the Health Ministry's Director General, has responded to P Ramakrishnan's statement, which criticised the move to allow government specialists to provide "private treatment" after working hours. Ismail argues that the poor will not be affected by the move.
The Coalition will be rebutting his remarks in the next couple of days.
For now, here is Ismail's response, CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1137849932724234622006-01-21T21:01:00.000+08:002006-01-21T21:44:34.230+08:00Let's debate and discuss the scheme before you finalise itMake public the operational details of the scheme and allow civil society adequate time to meet the consultants and debate their proposals before finalising the health care financing scheme. These are among the Coalition's main demands to the Health Ministry in a letter dated 12 October 2005.
In its letter, the Coalition thanked the Ministry for arranging the dialogue session on 27 September CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1137075677451878202006-01-12T22:07:00.000+08:002006-01-12T22:21:17.473+08:00Don't allow govt specialists to provide "private treatment"Groups have come out in protest against the government's plan to allow government specialists to provide "private treatment" after working hours as a means of boosting their income.
Aliran asks the pointed question: Does the Health Ministry truly care for the poor? Exhausted specialists cannot be expected to be efficient and remain true to their calling. We are not told how many hours per day andCAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1134730034435779272005-12-16T18:34:00.000+08:002005-12-29T19:49:54.876+08:00Subra: It was Dr Chua who said 2006On behalf of the Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation, I wish to categorically state that at no time did we say that the proposed National Health Financing Scheme (NHFS) would be introduced in 2006 as claimed by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek (The Star, 14 December 2005). In fact, according to newspaper reports on 26 April 2005, it was Dr Chua who said that NHFS will come into forceCAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1134702936723818652005-12-16T11:09:00.000+08:002005-12-16T11:21:25.246+08:00Chua: Who said it would begin in 2006?The proposed National Health Financing Scheme will probably be modelled after the EPF and SOCSO schemes with contributors making monthly payments through salary deductions, according to Health Minister Chua. He also questioned NGOs for allegedly suggesting that the new scheme would be implemented in 2006.
The following report was published in The Star.
The Star Online > Nation Wednesday CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1134641566204668052005-12-15T17:58:00.000+08:002005-12-15T18:31:23.290+08:00People's proposal for health care financingDraft for Discussion on 11 December 05
prepared by the Coalition The government seems serious about making massive changes to the Malaysian Health Care System. Several MOH and government leaders like Datuk Chua Soi Lek and Dato Seri Najib Razak have stated this. Most of their pronouncements, however, only state the government’s intention to make the rakyat pay more towards health costs. At theCAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1134530090022784752005-12-14T10:44:00.000+08:002005-12-14T11:23:41.496+08:00Frustration mounts over secrecyDuring the forum on 11 Dec 2005, Coalition representatives expressed frustration over the secrecy involved in formulating the proposed national health care financing scheme.
Malaysiakini has carried a report with highlights of what transpired at the forum, organised by the Coalition:
Empty chatter irks healthcare coalition
Claudia Theophilus
Dec 13, 05 2:01pmCAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1134391185777900172005-12-12T20:28:00.000+08:002005-12-14T11:18:24.483+08:00Malaysians say NO to privatisation at forumThe Coaliton held a successful forum yesterday attended by some 130 concerned Malaysians. A lively discussion followed with most in the audience expressing firm views against privatisation or any encroachment by private interests.
theSun carried this report today:
Group demands details on national health scheme By: R. Surenthira Kumar (Sun, 11 Dec 2005)
PETALING JAYA: Fearful that the CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1132653773791064952005-11-22T17:55:00.000+08:002005-11-22T19:16:10.053+08:00Major forum on national health insurance on 11 DecThe Government’s recent pronouncements on a new health financing scheme, called the National Health Care Fund, will have far-reaching effects on the way health care is delivered in Malaysia.
The Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation, comprising 82 organisations in Malaysia, has been pursuing a dialogue with the Ministry of Health, and we have obtained certain important insights into how CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1132396167601983222005-11-19T18:12:00.000+08:002005-11-20T08:54:03.516+08:00Coalition expresses concern over role of private health insuranceThe Coalition was finally able to meet Health Ministry officials to discuss the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme. Coalition representatives made it clear to the Health Ministry that the main "stakeholder" should be the Malaysian public and so their interests must be protected.Here's what happened at the discussion:
Discussion Session with Health Ministry officials
9.00 am – 11.00 am, 27CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1131779972983324262005-11-12T14:58:00.000+08:002005-11-12T15:19:32.993+08:00Who are these mysterious consultants?The Coalition has pointed out that the Ministry's Health Ministry's reply on 25 May 2005 did not allow it the opportunity to seek further clarification on the National Health Financing Scheme. In its letter of 21 June 2005 (see below), the Coalition said it had been seeking a face-to-face meeting with top Health Ministry officials to discuss issues arising from the scheme since 8 March 2005.
CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1130927166371712452005-11-02T18:17:00.000+08:002005-11-02T18:26:06.383+08:00Coalition to present counter-proposal at forumThe Coalition will be holding a half-day forum to discuss the government’s proposed New Health Care Financing Scheme, which will have far-reaching effects on the way health care is delivered in Malaysia. The Coalition has been pursuing a dialogue with the Ministry of Health, and we have obtained certain important insights as to how the government is approaching this new scheme. We wish to share CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1130208075399724012005-10-25T10:22:00.000+08:002005-10-25T19:04:51.906+08:00Payments to providers to be based on global budgets and case-mixIn his reply to the Coalition on 25 May 2005, Health Ministry Director General Ismail Merican attached a five-page response to the seven questions raised by the Coalition on 4 May.
The following is a summarised translation of the text followed by a copy of the five-page document in Malay:
1. How much will a worker earning RM1,000 have to pay in monthly contributions?
Although mandatory CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1129101133119059942005-10-12T15:04:00.000+08:002005-10-14T11:41:48.746+08:00Mechanism won't be privatised, reiterates MinistryHealth Ministry Director General Ismail Merican responded on 25 May 2005 to the Coalition’s letter of 4 May, reiterating the points he had made earlier:
The aim of the national health financing mechanism is to improve accessibility to high quality, efficient and comprehensive health care services and to ensure equity for the people.
This would be based on the concept of sharing costs among CAHCPtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15732072.post-1128678938925451262005-10-07T17:50:00.000+08:002005-10-07T17:58:10.326+08:00Consultants need to hear our views first, says CoalitionNearly three weeks passed without a response after the Coalition wrote to the Health Ministry on 4 May 2005. The Coalition followed up with another letter on 24 May, stressing that the issue was urgent and discussions had to be held pronto, so that the consultants formulating the scheme - whoever they are - could consider civil society’s views right from the start.
Since there was no response CAHCP