MOH Studying National DRG System To Address Rising Medical Costs

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) is studying the development of a national diagnosis-related group (DRG) system for hospital care across the country as an effort to address the rising medical costs.

Deputy Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that DRG, which classifies patients based on diagnosis, type of treatment, and resources used in an episode of care, is essential for financing the healthcare sector by calculating health treatment costs, management, and tariffs.

"We are actively considering ways to implement this DRG system nationwide so that university hospitals, military hospitals, and private hospitals can also adopt its use in determining patient treatment costs to avoid excess charges.

"This will also allow the M40 and B40 groups to access treatment in the private sector without the concern of excessive costs," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Lukanisman also informed that the ministry is in discussions with the Ministry of Finance regarding the implementation of the DRG concept.

On Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (KPJKS), he said that it is regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), while matters related to ethics and professionalism in the medical profession are overseen by the Malaysian Medical Council (MPM).

Regarding complaints against KPJKS, Lukanisman said that 720 complaints had been received by the MOH Medical Practice Division as of Nov 27.

"Of these, 263 were related to complaints against personnel, and of these cases, only five complaints per year involved the issue of prescribing medication beyond the patient's needs," he added.

-- BERNAMA