INSTITUT Jantung Negara (IJN) said it has not been made a private entity and is still fully owned by the government under the Minister of Finance Incorporated.

Responding to a recent anonymous letter claiming that IJN has been privatised and is refusing treatment to retired civil servants, the specialist heart institute, in a statement, said its commitment to providing excellent healthcare to government employees has not wavered.

It also emphasised it values the contribution of government employees, including retirees.

“IJN takes seriously the accusations in the recent letter by “Concerned Pensioners” that has been circulating on social media and WhatsApp. They are inaccurate and unjustified to the organisation.

“We strive to offer the highest level of medical care to all our patients, regardless of their backgrounds. Contrary to the claim in the letter, IJN has never been privatised – it has been corporatised institution since its inception.

“As a corporatised entity, IJN continues to be fully owned by the government under the Minister of Finance Incorporated and the centre operates privately under the Malaysian Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 under the purview of the Health Ministry,” it said in the statement.

IJN also said its primary mission remains to provide exceptional medical services to all Malaysians, including government employees, retirees and citizens, as well as patients from neighbouring countries.

The letter, which has since gone viral, claimed IJN is redirecting its patients to other hospitals, on the grounds that it is transitioning to private care.

The letter also said former government employees were being asked to leave and seek treatment at other hospitals.

Meanwhile, IJN revealed approximately 84.7% of its workload comprised patients from the government sectors (employees, pensioners and their dependents) while 14.9% were self-paying patients (insurance coverage and cash).

“Only 0.4% are foreign patients (this information is available in our performance reports on our website),” it added.

Since its establishment, nearly five million patients have received treatment at IJN.

Its chief executive officer Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim told reporters previously that despite working at that capacity, the centre does not face any problems accommodating the volume of patients as it has sufficient staff and adequate equipment and facilities. – August 5, 2023.