IJN: Privatisation and Taking It Private-2
IJN was established in 1992. Its main shareholders were/are Ministry of Finance and Federal Commissioner of Lands. MOH? Nothing as IJN was and is operationally independent from MOH. MOH probably 'supervises' from afar ensuring IJN remains on course. MOH directs patients to IJN and this is reflected by the fact that 80-85% of the patients that go to IJN are referred there and paid for the government. Some patients are paid for by the Yayasan IJN such as in the case of the late Professor Hashim Ali.
Since 1992 to 2008, more that 1.5 million patients were attended to by IJN. IJN performed more than 34,000 heart surgeries and more than 87,000 interventional procedures. These facts were presented to the briefing to the PM recently.
Probably like, me, when they heard these for the first time, they were in jaw dropping awe- some of the terms they used such as interventional cardiac procedures, CABG, Cardiac Catherisation Complications- phew! What are these? PCI mortality and so forth. Ah so, I found out later that the fierce sounding CABG is open heart surgery and PCI Mortality is death arising from non invasive heart surgery. My devious economist logic quickly retorts by saying of course your PCI mortality in 2007 was 0.1% compared to Mayo which had 0.76%. This tells us nothing because you don't cut people up and so the risks of death resulting from not being cut up are therefore low. More deaths occurred at Mayo (a hint of gloating maybe from IJN doctors?) were perhaps due to the patients going for PCI to Mayo were almost gone cases. In the words of a commentator- nyawa nyawa ikan cases.
But imagine the horrified faces of some of the officers at that meeting- yes those krepek eating senior treasury officers trained maybe in reading hikayats at UM or UKM previously- they can be starry eyed. They will say the sensuous ahhh..oohhhs and so on.
The presenters claimed that they trained doctors from HUSN and HUKM. A friend contacted me to say- there was nothing of that sort. Doctors from HUKM and HUSN came to perform operations at IJN using facilities at IJN and not to be trained. Unless of course, a brief sojourn at IJN is considered a new definition of training.
The cruncher at the presentation came when the slide 'FOR IJN TO CONTINUE AS THE PREMIER HEART CENTRE AND BE AT THE FRONTIER- wow what a mouthful!
At the top of the list of preconditions is a statement that is quite shocking to me for it said, to achieve the above IJN must be clinician–led organization and continue offering attractive - remuneration packages. So its always money money money, always honey.
Here was the real reason. The doctors want control of the turf. They want everything. They want good remuneration packages. So I went to snoop around and asked how much on average the 33 doctors earn monthly? The answer is at the very minimum RM 80k per month. Wah! That much while those macai doctors who do the skunk work earn a relatively paltry amount of RM8k. these specialists , I asked, what do they do? Mostly, when operations were carried out, they stand watch and instruct and probably just to show handwork, maybe do the stitching. Or maybe in the case of a particular doctor, took over the tasks normally done by senior nurses in taking personal care of Tun Dr Mahathir the last time. Mahu nama beb…as a blogger friend would say in his trademark slang. Come on beb- light my fire!
Of course they want the government to support them by sending more patients. If possible all patients so that they get paid more. For funding and research? They want money from uncle G, the Boss.
So you have a group of people wanting to tae IJN into their private hands but insisting that costs be socialized.
From my last post on IJN, I got this comment below. It appears to be a comment from one of the 33 senior doctors. His/her comments deserve a wider audience and so I reproduced it here in its entirety. Hope to write another installment on IJN soon.
Anonymous said...1. After reading your latest post I have to admit that NOT ALL OF US is in sync with what our CEO put forth to the EC. Somehow I suspect you already knew that!
2. I know what I am about to say or write, might put me at loggerheads with the other 'side'. But all this public bickering must ceased as its hurting the morale of the entire staff of IJN which will ultimately makes all our good efforts thus far to a nought. IJN is an INSTITUTION set-up by the Rakyat for the Rakyat. And it must be defended at all cost!
3. We have lived under a medically trained CEO for the first 12 years since IJN's inception in 1992. We have reached a plateau in terms of progress as the CEO then was a 'part-time' as he/she was still expected to see through their patients.
4. Internal bickering among doctors then was rife & to certain extense bordering madness. As one commentator put it correctly, the CEO's during that period was 'emotionally tortured' by our more aggressive colleagues pushing through the doctor's agenda which is always 'Doctor's First'.
5. Then came a period of calmness when the shareholders decided to put in place a non-medical CEO. The CEO basically clean up the house, tightened the screws where its needed and makes us all toe the line. Its all fine with some but not to others.
6. We were all rewarded accordingly and all seems fine at first. But as the numbers starts to improved, so is the expectation of the others. It seems nothing is enough.
7. This latest episode, sadly to say, is the culmination of such expectation. We are aware of a meeting between one of our colleague with a blogger whereby a supposedly private & confidential information was passed on to this blogger. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, some people just couldn't keep their mouth shut.
8. In the EY report date the 13th October, there's no mentioned anywhere in the documents of any privatisation proposal or sell-off or canniballising of subsidiary companies. It merely outline the current organisation structure & ways to strengthened it to meet future challenges. That's all to it!
9. But, why was it distorted in the manner it was published on that Monday that is beyond comprehension. We couldn't understand it then & even now. Was there a hidden agenda by this group? What's the end game? Maybe to create strong public sentiments against any form of 'privatisation' or 'wide-spread asset unbundling'. We are just doctors!
10. Somewhere along the line, we have lost our objectivity. I can deny that the financial rewards is there & I'll be a hypocrite to say we don't want to be rewarded. And we don't need to re-invent the wheel just to achieve our financial goals.
11. Our objective is the patients. During those glorious days when a doctor is just a doctor, when we used to do everything ourselves, patient comes first. Sadly to say, I see some of my colleagues is pushing everything to the junior team member. Getting appointment to see us is still a major issue. We tried our best to fulfill our patients' need but to be perfectly honest, we are short handed.
12. IJN must re-chart its course. But not the way our CEO is doing it. They think by reverting to the single structure things will be better than the current one. I see no flaws in the current structure & can understand why it's being done this way. I sincerely hope my other colleagues can see it too. But it has got to be seen without any hatred, revenge and only with a clear mind.
13. I do not wish to be known as I know the kind of treatment I will received from my colleagues. All tjese years, my colleagues and me, managed to keep our sanity by staying at the sideline. And we will remain there for as long as it takes.
One of the 33 BUT not the 13
2. I know what I am about to say or write, might put me at loggerheads with the other 'side'. But all this public bickering must ceased as its hurting the morale of the entire staff of IJN which will ultimately makes all our good efforts thus far to a nought. IJN is an INSTITUTION set-up by the Rakyat for the Rakyat. And it must be defended at all cost!
3. We have lived under a medically trained CEO for the first 12 years since IJN's inception in 1992. We have reached a plateau in terms of progress as the CEO then was a 'part-time' as he/she was still expected to see through their patients.
4. Internal bickering among doctors then was rife & to certain extense bordering madness. As one commentator put it correctly, the CEO's during that period was 'emotionally tortured' by our more aggressive colleagues pushing through the doctor's agenda which is always 'Doctor's First'.
5. Then came a period of calmness when the shareholders decided to put in place a non-medical CEO. The CEO basically clean up the house, tightened the screws where its needed and makes us all toe the line. Its all fine with some but not to others.
6. We were all rewarded accordingly and all seems fine at first. But as the numbers starts to improved, so is the expectation of the others. It seems nothing is enough.
7. This latest episode, sadly to say, is the culmination of such expectation. We are aware of a meeting between one of our colleague with a blogger whereby a supposedly private & confidential information was passed on to this blogger. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, some people just couldn't keep their mouth shut.
8. In the EY report date the 13th October, there's no mentioned anywhere in the documents of any privatisation proposal or sell-off or canniballising of subsidiary companies. It merely outline the current organisation structure & ways to strengthened it to meet future challenges. That's all to it!
9. But, why was it distorted in the manner it was published on that Monday that is beyond comprehension. We couldn't understand it then & even now. Was there a hidden agenda by this group? What's the end game? Maybe to create strong public sentiments against any form of 'privatisation' or 'wide-spread asset unbundling'. We are just doctors!
10. Somewhere along the line, we have lost our objectivity. I can deny that the financial rewards is there & I'll be a hypocrite to say we don't want to be rewarded. And we don't need to re-invent the wheel just to achieve our financial goals.
11. Our objective is the patients. During those glorious days when a doctor is just a doctor, when we used to do everything ourselves, patient comes first. Sadly to say, I see some of my colleagues is pushing everything to the junior team member. Getting appointment to see us is still a major issue. We tried our best to fulfill our patients' need but to be perfectly honest, we are short handed.
12. IJN must re-chart its course. But not the way our CEO is doing it. They think by reverting to the single structure things will be better than the current one. I see no flaws in the current structure & can understand why it's being done this way. I sincerely hope my other colleagues can see it too. But it has got to be seen without any hatred, revenge and only with a clear mind.
13. I do not wish to be known as I know the kind of treatment I will received from my colleagues. All tjese years, my colleagues and me, managed to keep our sanity by staying at the sideline. And we will remain there for as long as it takes.
One of the 33 BUT not the 13
12 November 2009 01:26
5 comments:
Blogger bengong - Big Dog
Equally bengong - Rocky
Doctor bengong - Sapa tu yek? jeng..jeng..jeng..
Tolonglah..apa punya manusia yang bocor rahsia syarikat ni??!!..mana amanah muh??..toksah dok pura-pura buat baik..kalu benda gini pun takleh nak jaga. Rahsia syarikat adalah rahsia Kementerian Kewangan. Tak kan tak paham kot..tak kan itu pun nak bagi tau. Kalau orang panggil bodoh macam lembu marah pulak..tp lebih kurang gitu la.
Kita yang kuliketif2 kat sini keje bagai nak mampus nak kasi syarikat maju. Korang kat atas pegi buat keje tal senonoh ni. Jadi, big2 boss kat atas tu tolonglah siasat betul2 & amik tindakan. Ini bocor bukan hospital support bole repair punya.
Sir,
Not sure if this has anything to do with IJN.
*********************
Both in the hands of my youngest brother Dato Doctor Zainal - Cardiologist and Personal Physician to Mahathir for as along as I can remember. It is in his hands because when my Father passed away Zainal had the presence of mind to take what he could for himself. Good for him but not too good for my sister or me.
Now my question is this. How did this youngest brother of mine beget that presence of mind to do something so underhanded and devious to his own brothers and sister? First he had to wrestle control of my Father’s banking account from my sister – who had always been trusted by my Father as a signatory to his accounts. Then he had to keep people away from my Father who was dying of cancer – including my sister! Then when my father passed away he had courage to not inform me – did what he had to do to get all monies from my father’s bank accounts and legally transferred my father’s business to himself – and then cash out. Then he sat back and enjoyed the proceeds of his efforts.! No business - just wasted all the money away in ‘investments’ and living the good life.
But I have moved on. Now in hindsight I can only say that I did not really know my own brother. Neither did my father. This is no common criminal. He is a cardiologist – physician to the Prime Minister - A bumiputra with everything going for him – and yet he will still take that which does not belong to him.
*****************************
If the above is irrelevant, please delete it.
aiyak, anon 12:35, kalau orang2 jahat di IJN nak buat projek kelentong, kan bagus rahsia mereka dibocorkan..tak kira rahsia syarikat ke atau rahsia peribadi !!
takkan anon 13:35 nak sokong projek kelentong masyarakat ?? ataupon anon 12:35 ahli team 'Ali Baba' tu !!
KTM
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, pi bomoh je berubat.
Dear Dato,
Do you actually believe you can garner the masses as well as you did during the SD attempted take-over?
Do you think the PM will reverse his decision? This is Najib we are talking about not Pak leLah!
What's are you hoping for? Bear in mind, these are a bunch of cardiologist we are talking about here. For all you know, these doctors may have squeezed the entire cabinet members, past & present, balls during a routine examination (Now Azlan, hold your horses! This is a figure of speech ok)
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