Hard times ahead for the MOH

This recently surfaced in a doctors chat group and is being hotly discussed in our forums

no-money-for-tests

It shows that certain laboratory tests in MOH hospitals have been temporarily suspended. The reason is due to lack of funds and it is indeed a perennial problem but if on a wide scale and happening earlier than usual then it is a serious cause for concern.

The administrators may be quick to blame “over testing” but while some tests may not be so crucial compared to others but some are pretty basic in modern medicine.

One doctor in the forums commented:

I am working in a district hospital just an hour away from a tertiary centre. In the past 6 months i have had no FBC, CK, ABG, creatinine and now no x-ray films. heck, we can’t even do a simple OGTT because we ran out of glucose. SUGAR, mind you.

On top of that, we’ve received circulars from the lab of that tertiary hospital saying investigations from district hospitals have to be suspended due to lack of reagent/budget. I have not sent off a TFT, iron study, serum cortisol, tumour markers or even a BHCG in months. even if i did send it off, no results would be returned to me.

I have no HOs here. Who do i blame? Myself for needlessly ordering investigations?

That’s sad. Don’t blame junior doctors. It’s a tragedy that healthcare is affected by lack of funds. Funds which could have been used for the health of the rakyat had there been just a trickle of what has been lost in the mega financial scandals that have befallen the nation over the years.

Brace yourselves.

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