Sunday, January 04, 2009

Let's put an end to 'people need money for surgery, etc..' ads - Free government provided healthcare.

Recently, I read a news report about how 2 persons in Malaysia requiring HEART surgery required a lot of money. Both of them needed RM35,000-00 each. This was reported in the New Straits Times.

First, I wondered how many more people are out there who need money to get the necessary healthcare - who are being deprived of it by reason of lack of money? I believe that the Malaysian government should provide free health-care to all persons in Malaysia. (A friend of mine also did ask me why the 'zakat monies' are not being used for these cases - more so since the 2 babies are Muslim)

Secondly, I am wondering why these cases were not in the Institut Jantung Negara (National Heart Institute) - which is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Malaysia, who is curreently sadly also practicing that "pay if you want to be treated..." policy for every persons save few who are government workers and their family. Does IJN have the capacity to do these kind of surgery - being '...currently the leading medical heart centre in the region...' See earlier post and other related posts.

If I am government (or maybe the government-in waiting), or a peoples' representative (MP, ADUN or future MP/ADUN), I promise that I will fight and ensure that there is FREE and good healthcare to all persons in Malaysia. There will be no more the need for persons to go out and ask for donations/monies to get the necessary healthcare - the government will ensure that.

The right to to free and good healthcare must be enshrined in the Federal Constitution (and the State Constitutions).

We should not be seeing any more such adverts. The government should equip itself to be able to deal with all or any kind of healthcare requirement, and it should be provided free to all persons in Malaysia. This is basic.

Two-month-old Muhammad Izham Zamri, who underwent an operation yesterday to correct a complex congenital heart disease called total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, is in need of financial help.

Siti Fazilah Yahya with her daughter Nur Alysha Maysara Rusli at the Gleneagles Medical Centre.
Siti Fazilah Yahya with her daughter Nur Alysha Maysara Rusli at the Gleneagles Medical Centre.
His parents need between RM30,000 and RM35,000 to pay for the surgery.

His father, Zamri Jantan, 31, a security guard from Langkawi, Kedah, earns RM750 a month while his mother Siti Rohana Zakaria, 25, is a housewife. They have four other children, three of whom are schooling.

Another family from Kedah is also facing a similar problem. A school caretaker from Jerlun, Rusli Ahmad, 47, cannot come up with the RM35,000 needed to pay for his daughter's surgery at the same hospital.

He takes home RM740 a month while his wife, Siti Fazilah Yahya, 41, is a housewife.

Their youngest child, two-month-old Nur Alysha Maysara Rusli had two holes in the heart, which caused her severe breathing difficulty and slow weight gain since birth.

The couple have six other children aged from 2 to 22.

Those who wish to help can send cheques made payable to The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, with the child's full name written on the reverse, to: The Cashier, Finance Department/Charity Unit, The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, Balai Berita, No 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. - New Straits Times, 27/12/2008 - Heart babies need funds for surgery
The newspapers, do from time to time, take up some of these cases and manage to raise the required monies - but this should not be the case in Malaysia. The responsibility to provide the necessary healthcare of human persons is and should be with the government. Ironically, the government is quick to pay out millions to 'bail-out' some companies - but alas such actions of care is not always evident when it comes to human persons.

3 comments:

Mr. Smith said...

Fully agree with your views. Sometimes I feel how unfair the system is when the poor have to die an early death due to lack of funds for health care.
Walk into an private hospital and you see only those who are rich seeking health screening and treatment as they can afford to pay.
The poor either choose to seek bomohs or go to government hospitals where one has to wait a month for an appointment with a specialist.

Unknown said...

you should send your article to the health ministry & our dying PM bodowi. if you r lucky enough, you might get a reply.

anyway, malaysia boleh ma. "no money, die lah.u don't hope for others"

JHMARKETING said...

Its very sad here in American that my father who works hard his whole life,and has no saving or,anything that lives week to week has pay to have a cancer tumor removed from his eye.He signed a agreement with the doctor he would pay monthly and they did the surgery,but since he can't make a payment they can't take his nodes out from his eye,and now we have to sell everything we have to come up with 700 dollars so the doctor can fix the damage caused by the surgery.And it hurts me a lot not being able to help,I'm disabled myself,and have been fighting for years just to have my bills paid for.