Interfering with doctors’ clinical decisions could be illegal, says health DG
Health director-general Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab has warned that any attempt to interfere with a doctor’s authority in patient management or to pressure them into predetermined treatment decisions could amount to a breach of legal provisions.
In a statement today, Mahathar said that Sections 82 and 83 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 protect clinical decision-making from outside interference.
“Any arrangement that interferes with a practitioner’s authority over patient management, or pressures them to act contrary to professional ethics, is not only unacceptable but may also constitute an inconsistency with legal provisions,” he said.
“Conditioning guarantee letter approvals or any form of arrangement, directive or contractual condition, or setting reimbursements on predetermined clinical…
