Why Malaysian seeking medical help overseas

While it is a noble intention for the government to send patients (including children) to overseas countries (especially India) for medical help, a few questions popped up:
* Malaysia is promoting the country as a medical tourism destination. How successful is this programme ?

* Medical treatment at local private hospitals are expensive. Why is the government not controlling the medical cost ? I'm sure those private hospitals are making huge profits every year.

* Why treatment cannot be scheduled at government hospital ? If there is limited places, what is the government doing about it to upgrade the facility ?

The government has budgeted a mind-boggling RM2.3 Billion to buy new helicopters but at the same time, children are sent to India for medical treatment because they cannot afford the treatment in Malaysia. Poo-dah.

Related posts:
* Insufficient dialysis treatment in Malaysia
* Shortage of nurses in Malaysia hospitals
* Heath Ministry short of funds for Cardiac Centre
* Sarawak General Hospital badly overcrowded, Part 2
* Sarawak General Hospital badly overcrowded

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From TheStar

Children doing well after heart operation in India

KUALA LUMPUR: The 17 children who were sent to the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in Bangalore for heart surgery under a special programme have recovered, said Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai.

“We are very happy that all the children went through a safe operation and are doing very well,” Liow told reporters after opening Wisma LKL yesterday.

Liow said the programme, which saw the children being brought to India for affordable treatment for heart disease, would be continued in future.

The children, aged between nine months and 13 years, were sent to India when their families could not afford to seek medical help in local private hospitals or could not schedule treatment in government hospitals due to limited places.

For their referral treatment back in Malaysia, Liow said the children would be sent to hospitals close to their homes.

He said the costs of sending the children to the hospital in India was “affordable”, where each surgery was about RM10,000 while another RM4,900 was for accommodation and processing of visas.

On another matter, Liow said the ministry was currently working with Universiti Putra Malaysia in a research to investigate the migration of the chemical melamine from plastic containers to food.

“We will announce the types of plastics which may leach melamine once the results of the research are concluded,” he said.