Kuala Lumpur: There is a huge demand for heart surgery in Malaysia. This has increased the pressure on hospitals, especially government hospitals where the waiting times can be anywhere between two to six months. To tide over the crisis, The Health Ministry has urged the private hospitals to rise to the occasion and provide affordable heart surgery to the poor.
The ministry will now review the provisions in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (PHFS) Act and Regulations to see if hospitals can assist patients by reducing the cost of heart surgeries.Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek of Malaysia recently paid a visit to the reputed Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bangalore. He urged hospitals in Malaysia to emulate the best practices of this hospital, which is known for its services to the under-privileged. He requested each private hospital in Malaysia to conduct two or three surgeries in a year.
The ministry had gone a step further and held discussions with Dr Devi Shetty , Director of the Hospital in Bangalore, to help Malaysian patients with surgeries at a nominal rate. The hospital has already provided treatment to 14 Malaysians so far.
Source-Medindia
SAV/M
