PETALING JAYA, Nov 7 — A private medical centre in Seremban, Negri Sembilan has been ordered to cease operations by the Health Ministry following the sudden resignation of all but one of its medical specialists.

A report by The Star claimed that the doctors at the Mawar Medical Centre resigned over unpaid wages believed to run into several million ringgit on November 1.

However, the report quoted Health Ministry deputy health director-general (medical) Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar in a letter addressed to the management dated November 5 as saying the Mawar Haemodialysis Centre (MHC) was allowed to continue operations despite the stop order issued by the ministry.

Azman said based on Rule 16 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Regulations 2006, every medical service provided by a private healthcare facility must have a head and medical specialist to be able to function.

“Since the specialists have resigned, the hospital must stop all in-patient and outpatient, ambulatory, support, as well as outpatient specialist services.

“The management must also submit an application to make amendments to its licence and to downgrade from a private hospital to a private haemodialysis centre immediately,” he said.

The MHC ranks itself among the country’s largest non-profit private dialysis centres and has branches in Lukut, Bahau, Rantau, Kuala Pilah, and Mantin in Negri Sembilan, Sepang and Seri Kembangan in Selangor, Gemas Baru and Yong Peng in Johor, Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur, Pending and Serian in Sarawak, and Tawau in Sabah.

Dr Azman said the management was duty-bound under the law to send a notice to the health director-general within 30 days since the ministry had also received information that the medical facility might be taken over by a third party.

The management has yet to respond to queries on the ministry’s directive ordering it to halt operations.

According to the report, about half of the patients are not charged for treatment, whereas those receiving similar treatment at private medical centres needed to pay between RM300 and RM400 per session weekly in three sessions.

The Negri Sembilan state government had initially agreed in principle to take over the MMC following negotiations on October 1 and October 15, but dropped the idea due to “new and unfavourable” conditions set by the management.

A source said the terms and conditions stipulated by the management were inconsistent with discussions held with Mentri Besar Aminuddin Harun.