THE cost of treatment at Malaysia government hospitals is usually way cheaper than private hospitals.
Recently, a Malaysian man had a pleasant surprise when his wife’s brain surgery bill and 26-day hospitalisation bill totaled up to just RM258.
In a Facebook post, Lee explained that his wife had initially experienced terrible headaches. Her ongoing suffering prompted them to a private hospital after she was initially treated with painkillers at a clinic.
Following that, her CT scan indicated a serious brain haemorrhage that necessitated an urgent Brain Coiling Procedure which was not accessible at the local hospital.
They first decided to have the surgery performed at a private hospital, for a whopping RM 150,000.
However, preparations were altered when his wife tested positive for COVID-19 on December 17, forcing a relocation to the central government hospital in Johor Bahru.
Lee went on to say, “According to government regulations, a patient who tests positive for COVID-19 must be sent to the central hospital for quarantine and can only proceed with the operation after testing negative.”
Subsequently, after another round of delays and waiting for the doctor to return, his wife was eventually scheduled to have surgery on Jan 7 and was released from the hospital two days later.
Fortunately, the procedure was successful, and their suffering finally came to an end after 26 days.
When Lee checked out, he was pleasantly surprised to see the hospital cost only RM258.
“After a three-month stay in the hospital and surgery by the best team of doctors, our fee was only RM258!”
Lee further declared, “Malaysia has the most accessible healthcare system for its citizens. If we had chosen a private hospital, the cost would have been at least a thousand times higher.”
This is an excellent instance of how efficient and economical public healthcare is in Malaysia.