Pensioners deserve better treatment

RECENT news reports refer to what the Health Ministry should do. I would like to refer to what happened during the previous administration so that those practices will be stopped.
At first all went well with patients being looked after well. There was a government appointed pharmacy (Oratis) linked to many private pharmacies.
Civil servants and pensioners could go to these pharmacies for medication that was not available in government hospitals.
Though the previous administration claimed that the economy was doing well, the ministry's budget was gradually cut making it necessary for government hospitals to prescribe generic medication.
Then the prescriptions were dispensed once every three months and later monthly. This put a strain on the sick especially senior citizens.
Many also found these generic medications unsuitable as they suffered unpleasant reactions. However doctors when told about the unpleasant reactions were able to prescribe the original ones, which could be purchased by civil servants through Oratis, which then claimed the cost from the government.
This system changed in July 2017 when the services of Oratis were terminated. Civil servants were then made to claim direct from the government.
All such claims were stopped in 2018. For example, in my case I had internal bleeding in my right eye and needed a series of injections which cost around RM1,400 a month. Formerly, this cost would have been borne by the government. But now I had to bear them. I was later scheduled for laser treatment, but the cost of that was also turned down by the government. So that also was on me.
Now mine is not the only case. I appeal to the new administration to reverse this trend and make it easier for pensioners to get proper medication and settle claims.
Aloysius B. Marbeck
Kuala Lumpur