GEORGE TOWN: As part of their voluntary work for the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA), medical specialists will be on hand to offer free consultation at No. 11, River Road here on Thursday at the Derma Sivasanta Clinic.
Coordinator P. Murugiah said obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Devindran Muniandy, oncologist Dr M. Amir Shah and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Tan Boon Cheong will be available from 7pm to 9pm for consultation.
“We have patients who come from as far as Kedah, Ipoh and Alor Setar because they want to see the specialists, who are from private hospitals,” he said, adding that all patients are welcome, and not just those from B40 families.
He said TFA founder Swami Shantanand Saraswathi started the charity clinic to ensure the underprivileged can have direct access to and consult with medical specialists.
“If our specialist decides that a case is serious and needs immediate attention, then he will issue the patient a referral letter and speak with the specialists at the Penang Hospital so that an on-the-spot appointment can be made.”
He said the waiting period to see a specialist at a government hospital is usually between three months and a year, resulting in patients having to take painkillers in the meantime.
“In urgent cases when the specialist believes the patient cannot wait long, especially for surgery, he will instead meet the patient at the private hospital where he works.
“The specialist will then negotiate with the private hospital management to reduce or waive the fees, if possible.”
Murugiah said after offering free health consultations for the past 20 years, the Derma Sivasanta Clinic has also started offering free legal aid to the public, adding that about 2,000 B40 families are living in low-cost government flats close to the TFA building.
“When they bought the flats 20 to 30 years ago, it was worth RM30,000 to RM35,000. Now it’s worth over RM100,000, and they cannot afford the RM5,000 or more for the stamp duties and legal fees to transfer the property to their own name.
“That’s why we are offering free legal services, including will writing as well. Hopefully, this will help to reduce their financial burden.”
