Help young doctors to set up clinics

AS reported in many newspapers, we are currently having a surplus of doctors. Many are not absorbed into permanent positions in the government sector, making it difficult for them to continue their studies to become specialists.

Many have no choice but to work in the private sector either as medical officers in the emergency department of private hospitals or as resident doctors in private clinics owned by a big corporation.

Some may be brave enough to start their own private practice as general practitioners (GP) but without proper guidance, they will find it tough to keep the business going.

There is no training available for undergraduates or those in housemanship to prepare them to be GPs.

To make things worse, due to the prevailing economic situation, more patients are willing to wait in government clinics and hospitals to get treatment. Fewer patients are going to private clinics as they have to pay more for private healthcare.

But the biggest factor that can make or break a new practice is the difficulty to get into the panel of a big third party administrator (TPA) such as AIA, PM Care, MICARE, Health Connect, Mediclinic, etc. These days, you can see only a few established clinics in these TPA panels. New clinics run the risk of closing down within less than one year if they are not accepted by the TPA panels.

Why is this so? Is the doctor of the new clinic not competent enough to get into any of these big panels? Why do big clinic groups have better access into these big panels?

This monopoly does not do any good to anyone except the big groups of clinics. Patients would have to wait longer as there is a limited number of clinics in these big panels. The quality of consulta- tion would also be compromised as the doctors (usually hired and not the owner) would have to see a lot of patients in a very limited time. The stress and emotional fatigue on both the patients and doctors would be tremendous.

If all registered clinics under the Health Ministry were to have access to these big TPAs, both parties would surely benefit.

1. Patients would have more options of private clinics to go to, experience less waiting time and receive a higher quality of care.

2. There would be healthy competition among private clinics and there would be no monopoly by the big groups and long-established clinics.

3. The big groups and established clinics would have to invest more on continuing medical education (CME) and highly qualified doctors in order to compete with new clinics that would usually be operated by the owner who is expected to provide better service compared to the hired doctors in big groups of clinics.

4. New clinics can have a level playing ground that allows them to compete with the established ones, leading to less chances of them facing closure due to lack of business. Doctors can be kept in employment, reducing the risk of bankruptcy among them.

To all new doctors and new GP clinics, if you agree to stop this monopoly of big TPAs, make our voices heard.

Urge the Health Ministry to change its policy and make big TPAs available to all clinics. Share with all new GP clinics and doctors who want to start their own clinic. Tag our director-general and our minister. Let’s stop this monopoly and start a healthy business competition.

YOUNG DOCTOR STRUGGLING TO ESTABLISH NEW CLINIC