KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will establish a task force to conduct a comprehensive study on the issue of civil servants and pensioners discharged from the National Heart Institute (IJN).
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Lukanisman Awang said the ministry would also finalise the terms of reference, task force membership requirements, executive summary and timeline for the study completion to be presented to the cabinet.
He added that the decision was a follow-up action over claims that IJN was discharging all civil servants and pensioners to cardiac centres operated by the ministry due to the government's cutting cost measure.
"I would like to reiterate that patients are only allowed to be discharged from IJN when their condition is stable, with a monitoring period of at least six months to one year for adults and one to two years for children, in line with the 2002 Director General of Health Circular.
"Following this matter, the ministry will establish a task force to conduct a comprehensive study (on the discharge of civil servants and pensioners from IJN).
"The ministry through its corporate communication unit will also enhance strategic communication on the issue to avoid confusion among the members of the public," he said during the ministry's winding-up speech on the royal address debate in Dewan Rakyat, today.
He added that patients who were stabilised could still be referred to government hospitals for follow-up treatments.
"Government hospitals also own good equipment, facilities and have certified medical and surgical specialists that offer services that are on par with IJN.
"The approach will allow for at least 4,000 to 5,000 new patients to be referred to IJN annually to optimise expenditure."
Previously, an unnamed government pensioner claimed he was discharged after receiving extensive care at IJN.
The pensioner, whose name was not disclosed, said he had been told by IJN doctors that the ministry had issued a directive that all civil servants and pensioners should be discharged to the cardiac centre near their homes.
The senior shared his experience after waiting more than two months for an appointment, only to be told by the cardiac centre that it lacked the expertise to manage his case and had a restricted supply of medications.
Meanwhile, the ministry has since denied the claims and said prudent cost control measures were essential due to the increase in expenses annually following the referrals of patients to IJN.