CHANGLUN: The Health Ministry will monitor the price of medicine to ensure patients are not burdened by expensive medicine after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April next year.

Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the price of medicine in private hospitals and clinics may experience an increase of between one and two per cent, but not all.

He said several types of medicine were exempted from GST, such as panadol, which was commonly used in hospitals and clinics.

Patients seeking treatment from government hospitals need not worry about GST as the cost of medicine is funded by the government, he told a news conference after a health programme with the people at Kampung Tradisi here yesterday.

He said private clinics and hospitals in the country must comply with the ceiling price of medicine and medical treatment set by the Health Ministry so that it would not burden patients.

Should patients be imposed expensive medicine costs after the GST is implemented they can lodge a report with the Health Ministry.

Dr Hilmi said the ministry was also negotiating with medicine suppliers to standardise prices to avoid uncontrolled price hikes.

On the flood situation in the east coast, he said the ministry has deployed 322 personnel including 157 medical personnel stationed at mobile clinics.

So far none of the flood evacuees have experienced health problems such as food poisoning. There are enough personnel at flood relief centres to monitor the health of evacuees.

I advise flood victims, especially children, to avoid playing in flood waters as it may cause illness, he added. Bernama

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