KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 ― More patients are shifting from private to government hospitals to receive treatments as they are cheaper, according to The Star.

According to Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) president Datuk Dr Jacob Thomas, this scenario has led to a 30 per cent drop in the number of patients at private hospitals.

But, because patients would still have to endure long waiting time due to the overstretched public hospitals, Dr Jacob urged the Health Ministry to collaborate with private entities in some way.

He said so this could shorten a patient’s waiting time, especially when he or she needed to use MRI, CT and PET scans that was in excess capacity in private hospitals.

"We understand that 25 per cent of patients seen in public hospitals have access to private healthcare insurance.

"We can manage them in our private hospitals,” he was quoted as saying.

In the same report, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam reportedly said that his ministry was still in the midst of formulating the voluntary health insurance scheme.

The scheme, Dr Subramaniam previously said that would allow patients to enjoy medical treatment at private hospitals at a reasonable and affordable rate.