Foreigners account for small share of patients at Health Ministry facilities

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreigners make up a small proportion of patients at Health Ministry facilities, the ministry said today.

In a statement, the ministry said its healthcare services continue to be fully utilised by Malaysians.

It said it regularly monitored trends in healthcare facility usage among non-citizens to plan capacity and safeguard public health.

The ministry said its patient information and registration systems strictly categorised admissions by citizenship status, namely citizens and non-citizens.

"This classification is important to ensure accurate implementation of medical fee collection procedures at registration counters.

"Medical registration records are not categorised according to sub-ethnic groups," it said.

The clarification follows claims circulating on social media that increasing numbers of foreigners were seeking treatment at government hospitals and clinics.

The ministry said its healthcare facilities were established and prioritised to meet the welfare and medical needs of Malaysians.

However, in line with basic medical ethics, emergency treatment to save lives would be provided to any patient based on urgent clinical needs.

"To ensure the sustainability of the public healthcare system and compliance with financial governance, non-Malaysian patients, including holders of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards, are charged full fees and higher deposits under the Fees (Medical) (Cost of Services) Order 2014.

"The ministry also enforces revenue collection through a 'collect before discharge' approach, which involves optimising the collection of deposits and treatment charges while patients are still warded.

"For outstanding bills, follow-up action is taken in stages in accordance with financial procedures, including the issuance of reminder letters and legal notices," it said.

The ministry added that it also worked with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations to facilitate financial assistance for patients in genuine need without placing an additional burden on public funds.