IPOH, Aug 2 — The Health Ministry will conduct a cost effectiveness analysis before introducing radiotherapy treatment in Perak, said Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
“Whether to have a radiotherapy treatment machine in Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) or not, I think we have to look at the cost effectiveness analysis first.
“Sometimes, it might be cheaper to purchase, but to install the system, it might cost millions of ringgit and not forgetting the maintenance cost as well,” he told reporters today after opening the 21st Family Medicine Scientific Conference at the Ipoh Convention Centre here.
Previously, Kepayang assemblyman Dr Ko Chung Sen pointed out that the linear accelerator machine used for radiotherapy treatment is desperately needed in Perak.
Dr Ko said patients are forced to travel either to Kuala Lumpur or Penang for their treatment and spend a few days there.
“Most of the patients are unfit to travel as they are already sick and weakened by their illness. They are also struggling to fork out money to seek treatment in the private hospitals.
“Even worse is that, sometimes, the machine might break down and the patients have to travel back without getting any treatment,” he said.
Dr Ko said that a linear accelerator machine would cost between RM17 million and RM20 million.
Dr Lee said the ministry was aware that Perakians were forced to either seek treatment in private hospitals or go to government hospitals in neighbouring states, such as Penang or Kuala Lumpur, following the absence of the service in HRPB.
“We are looking into the matter and I assure you that we will not deprive cancer patients from getting proper medical treatment,” he said.
