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I just received info that our DG is going to go ahead with the plan of opening up 1Malaysia clinics for GPs. The pilot project will be conducted at Kg Kerinchi 1Malaysia clinic. GPs who are interested will be paid an allowance on an hourly basis. This issue was first published in The Star , April this year . I was informed that there were mixed feelings towards this but MOH is going to go ahead with the plan. I am sure many knows that the offer for private GPs to work in Government clinics has been implemented since mid 2000. However, the response was poor  despite the government paying RM80/hour with certain limitation of total number of hours. I know a few GPs and freelancers who took up the offer and end up earning more, with less work ( no administrative work) compared to the permanent MOH MOs.  This caused a lot of frustration among the MOH doctors and thus some conflicts happened. The criteria for the private doctors to get a post depends of vacancy at the respective KKs. With most of the KK’s post are filled nowadays, the chances for GPs to get a post is almost nil.

Thus, now the government is trying to use the 1Malaysia clinics to entice GPs to work for the government. It is a Catch 22 situation. If the GPs are not keen, then the government will say that the GPs are money minded  %^&* with no social responsibilities. If a GP take up the offer, he/she will be cursed by the rest of the GPs in that area! The rest will accuse this GP as trying to attract patients to his/her clinic etc etc.

I was also told that the government is planning to introduce a system where some chronic diseases will be passed to the GPs to manage. I presume he is talking about the impending 1Care system. The first chronic disease will be Hypertension. I have a feeling that this is to test the ground or a prelude to the introduction of 1Care system, which is being planned for 2014. For a beginning, the government may pay a fee for each patient but the patient may need to collect the medicine from the nearby government clinic pharmacy.

Well, as I have been saying all this while, many things may change along the way within the next 5-10 years. BUT no one knows for sure what is in store. There are many doctors who are staying put in government service and there are also a few who are rushing to open up a clinic, hoping they can become a panel for the impending 1Care system. Who has made the right choice is difficult to say at this moment. Whatever it is, life is not going to be easy for doctors in the future. You may still earn a decent living but don’t expect a luxury life or a return of investment.

I will be giving a talk for SPM students this Saturday 12pm at SRJK(T) Permas Jaya on what it takes to be a doctor, life as a doctor and future prospect. Those who are in JB are welcomed. It will be in English, though I may mix some Tamil depending on the audiences.

Sayonara……………