GOVERNMENT hospitals are expected to see an increase in patients after deregulation of consulting fees for private and dental clinics is abolished next year.

Private medical practitioners will now be able to set their own consultation rates and this is expected to increase treatment costs.

With this, patients are likely to make a beeline for government hospitals, adding to the already long waiting times.

The Malaysian Insight recently paid visits to government hospitals in Penang to check on the waiting time for patients.

Some patients complained of having to wait up to nine hours to be admitted, while others waited three hours to be taken to a delivery theatre.

A waiting time of up to 90 minutes is the norm at outpatient departments in the state.

Norasiah Mohamad, 53, told The Malaysian Insight of her experience at a government hospital, where she sought treatment for asthma about three years ago.

“After being checked by a medical officer, I was told that I needed to be admitted. The wait was so long. I had to wait from 6pm to 3am the next day to be admitted,” she said.

Despite her patience, she did not receive the treatment she needed as the hospital did not have a specialist to treat her condition.

“I was then sent to Penang Hospital to be treated,” she said.

The lack of specialists in government hospitals was also a problem faced by civil servant Muhammad Sharul Nizam Roslan’s pregnant wife, who had to make repeated visits to Seberang Jaya Hospital, about 50km from their home, as a closer government facility did not have the necessary specialists.

Sharul said his wife had to wait more than three hours to taken in for delivery.

He hopes the government would do more to ensure more specialists are placed in government hospitals.

“I hope there will be enough specialists in all government hospitals. Otherwise, patients will have to go from one hospital to another looking for one,” he said.

Others also told The Malaysian Insight that there are always huge crowds in almost all emergency wards at government hospitals.

Heart patient G. Doraisamy said he had seen patients waiting hours to see medical assistants at these wards.

“I have been told that there is no space in normal wards and, as such, we have to be admitted in emergency wards,” he said.

Despite the long waiting times, Doraisamy said he prefers government hospitals because they are affordable.

He also expressed confidence in government doctors and specialists.

Large crowds were also visible at outpatient departments visited by The Malaysian Insight, which took one journalist almost 90 minutes to be seen by a doctor.

Observations at Seberang Jaya Hospital and Bukit Mertajam Hospital also showed there was a lack of parking space for patients and visitors. – December 30, 2019.