KUALA LUMPUR: Tackling the regulatory burden has taken centre stage as among the current pressing issue in the global business community, thus requires an efficient and ‘fit for purpose’ regulatory regime for a more sustainable, inclusive and resource-efficient economy by reducing onerous regulations.
Healthcare, namely the high growth potential private hospital sector in Malaysia is among the focused area experiencing slow growth due to its highly regulated nature, with unnecessary regulatory burdens, denying access to high-quality and affordable health care system.
Thus, the government had given priority to the need for transition in the local private hospital sector to adopt a transparent, simplified, competitive regulatory framework in achieving national policy objectives, as well as to keep up with global good regulatory practices.
Embarked on a review of regulations affecting local business conduct, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) has released a report ‘Reducing Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens in Business: Private Healthcare’ highlighting the unnecessary burdens in the private healthcare sector; one of the 12 National Key Economic Areas in the 10th Malaysian Plan.
Among the unnecessary regulatory burden identified were private hospitals licence renewal, planning approval for changes to facilities, quality of medical professionals, control on business advertising and medical charges.
Incorporating these feedbacks, the report has detailed nine recommendations on the expertise and perspectives of public and private sector leaders for further deliberation by interested parties.
Among the recommendations were to reduce the burden on applications for hospital operating licence renewal, review and re-design the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Regulations 138/2006, reduce difficulty in dealing with licensors, quality of medical professionals and dealing with fragmented processes.
The report also proposed to abolish Annual Practicing Certificates renewal application; planning approval for renovation, upgrade, extension, etc; approval for advertisement and advertising materials; as well as regulated medical fees.
Today, there are 220 licensed private hospitals in the country.
MPC seeks commitment from the public and private sectors on this report, to create a strong basis in achieving consensus to remove unnecessary compliance costs, administrative burdens and enhance regulatory consistency in private healthcare sector.
Source:New Straits Times