117. Hospital debts by illegals

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/large-number-of-foreigners-in-hospitals-a-burden-dept-2/

Large number of foreigners in hospitals a burden – dept

by Sandra Sokial. Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: A senior officer with the health department yesterday described the high presence of foreigners, particularly illegal immigrants, at government hospitals and clinics as a ‘burden’.

Its principal assistant director (Non-Communicable and Communicable Diseases) Dr Maria Suleiman, the 75th witness called by the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah, further disclosed that the numbers of both in and outpatients were alarming.

“We term them as ‘foreigners’ who comprise those with passports, IMM13 holders and illegal immigrants. The number of foreigners seeking outpatient treatments are recorded at 1, 010, 333 people and inpatients are 295,053 people.
“This is a burden since we do not have enough manpower and there are times when we run out of space and hospital beds until we have to fix ‘camp beds’ to meet the high number of patients,” she said when asked by conducting officer Datuk Azmi Ariffin to disclose the number of foreigners seeking treatment at government hospitals and clinics.
She added that between 2007 and 2012, the department recorded losses amounting to RM21,672,031.58 of unpaid medical expenses by a total of 42, 092 foreigners, compared to the unpaid figures from the locals totaling RM7, 723, 839.23.
“Most of the patients would leave their contact numbers and addresses, but when it comes to collect the arrears, we are unable to contact them or track them down as they do not live at the address given to us earlier,” she explained.
She added that the government also had to bear the cost of implementing measures to curb the spread of contagious diseases such as cholera, viral hepatitis, measles and leprosy which normally occur at squatter colonies, adding that they spent RM200,000 to contain its outbreak in 2011. That year a total of 2,898 cases were recorded.
On other development, she said birth rate comprising foreigners were recorded at 122, 882 babies between 2001 and 2011.
Maria added that there are a total of 22 hospitals statewide, comprising six specialists, 16 non-specialist hospitals, one psychiatry; 11 health offices, 80 health clinics, and 19 mother and child health clinics.
Sabah has 1,495 medical officers, 231 specialists, 4,837 nurses, 3,453 community nurses and 1,187 medical assistants.