KUALA LUMPUR – In response to allegations that it operates primarily for profit, the National Heart Institute (IJN) has clarified that it strictly adheres to government guidelines to ensure it can accept new and critical cases.
The IJN, which is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry, emphasised its commitment to providing top-quality care to all Malaysians, despite operating within a private hospital framework.
In a statement today, IJN reiterated that while it functions as a private entity, it remains dedicated to serving the public.
“In fact 75% of our current workload comprise patients from the government sector, including civil servants, pensioners and their dependents,” IJN said in a statement.
IJN further outlined its role as a referral centre for complex cardiology and cardiothoracic cases in collaboration with the Health Ministry.
The institute explained that patients referred from public hospitals are only discharged once they have stabilised, following a monitoring period of six to twelve months.
“This process is guided by the policies set by the MoH and Public Services, not IJN’s independent policy,” IJN added.
The clarification comes in response to claims by S Balagurunathan, who alleged that IJN’s operations are driven by profit.
Balagurunathan cited the case of a retired teacher who was moved from IJN after long-term treatment, attributing the move to cost-cutting measures. – August 21, 2024