16-1-2025 (KUALA LUMPUR) Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), one of Malaysia’s premier teaching hospitals, has introduced substantial fee increases that took effect on 1 January 2025, sparking concerns about healthcare accessibility amidst rising living costs.
The hospital’s decision to raise fees has particularly affected its specialist consultation charges, which have seen a dramatic increase of more than 200 percent, rising from RM15 to RM50. General clinic visits have also witnessed a threefold increase from RM5 to RM15, whilst daily charges for single adult rooms have escalated from RM120 to RM300.
These increases have raised eyebrows as UMMC’s new fees now exceed those of other government hospitals, including Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), where specialist consultations remain at RM5 and single room rates range between RM90 and RM120 per day.
The timing of these increases has proven particularly challenging for patients like J. Pang, a 49-year-old PhD student in cancer remission. “The financial strain is becoming unbearable,” said Pang, who requires multiple specialist consultations. “I may need to reduce my follow-up appointments due to these new costs.”
Another patient, identified only as Constance, 39, expressed shock at the steep increases during her recent visit. As a cancer survivor with diabetes requiring regular check-ups, she described the price hike as “particularly steep” and indicated she might need to “reconsider future surgical procedures if costs continue to rise.”
UMMC has defended the increases, citing significant rises in operational costs, advanced medical technology expenses, and the global escalation of medical supply prices. The hospital, which serves the populous suburbs of Petaling Jaya, Damansara, and surrounding areas, maintains that the revisions are necessary for sustainable operations.
Dr Lim Chee Han, a senior researcher at Third World Network, highlighted that Malaysia’s medical inflation rate of 15 percent in 2024 exceeded the global average of 10 percent. “This trend could exacerbate overcrowding at Ministry of Health facilities as patients seek more affordable care options,” he warned.
The fee increases coincide with recent controversies over proposed health insurance premium hikes of 40-70 percent, although government intervention has resulted in these increases being capped at 10 percent annually over three years.
Former Health Minister S. Subramaniam has pointed to funding disparities as a key issue, noting that UMMC receives approximately RM500 million in federal funding, just one-third of HKL’s allocation, despite managing 1,600 beds compared to HKL’s 2,300.
