The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia is encouraging doctors among its members to avoid unnecessary prescription of general anaesthesia where local anaesthesia is clinically appropriate.
APHM said the treating physician, in practice, always takes into account a patient’s overall condition, existing comorbidities, and the specific risks associated with the procedure to prescribe the appropriate choice of anaesthesia.
“The clinical judgment of treating physicians is important as inappropriate anaesthesia prescriptions can result in serious morbidity or even mortality,” it said in a statement.
“Payers can always request clinical justification for the use of GA or LA and must not override the clinical judgment of the treating physician, as patient safety must always remain the highest…