Razak during testing the blood presure by medical assistant,
Clinic 1 Malaysia. thesun/Saiful Hizam Mansor
(Photo credit: Sun2Surf)
“Open to all races, especially from the low-income group- 1Malaysia Clinic”
Salute to our government on it’s movement to launch 1Malaysia Clinic to provide us with cheaper and convenient alternatives of health checking. It will definitely relief the burden of government hospitals. Patients will no longer have to wait for whole day to have their numbers called upon. In addition for faster services being provided, a minimum fee involving RM1 (the most cheapest medical cost) will be charged. What more can we asked for? Comparison to private clinics, a normal illness eg: fever, stomachache,headache, cough, flu treatment will incur around Rm30.00.
Najid said 1Malaysia will operate 7 days a week from 10 am to 10 pm, run by paramedics comprising medical assistants and nurses. Although some may think by operating 1Malaysia is a threat to private clinic’s business. In my personal view, those working in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor will seek for private instead of 1Malaysia clinics because of its distance from workplace. Moreover, majority of MNC companies are under one or more private panel clinics. Unless, employers opt for 1Malaysia’s clinic as its’ panel clinic that would be a different story.
For the interest of it’s rakyat (citizen) who are No.1 concern, 50 1Malaysia clinic will offer most basic medical examination such as blood pressure level for hypertension and sugar level and other normal illness. According to the explanation by Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, director-general of health, it is estimated that by 2015, more than 50% of the population will be living in urban settings. The reality is that even now, due to economic reasons the middle income population is rapidly diminishing into larger low income groups which find private healthcare increasingly unaffordable.
“We will set up the clinic in residential areas so that the people need not go far to seek treatments,”
“Within this two years, the country’s health tourism expanded by 20 per cent. There are still a lot of room for improvement,”
“It is all for the interest of the rakyat who are our number one concern… this is what the government stands for,”
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai
“Actually, they (private doctors) will not be affected because the cases from here (1Malaysia clinics) will be referred to them for further examination or treatment, or the patients will then go to the government hospitals
“I understand the doctors are concerned about their income but this will not affect them; in fact it is a win-win situation for everyone,”
“They need not be afraid of it and the number one concern should always be in the interests of the people.”
“If the response and effects are good, the clinics will possibly be increased … but let us evaluate first as 50 (clinics) is a big number. And we also need to determine the effectiveness of these clinics and this new approach. From there, we can decide,”
“That’s the Government’s aspiration,”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
List of 1Malaysia Clinics Nationwide