M'sian Doctors Use Their Own Money To Help Patients Pay For Medication & Buy Food
The generosity of these doctors extended beyond managing their patients' medical needs.
By Aqasha Nalani — 14 Nov 2022, 01:21 PM — Updated about 2 years ago
Several Malaysian doctors recently confessed anonymously on Instagram, detailing how they have previously helped patients get treatment by using their own money
According to an Instagram post by @malaysianpaygap, a page that advocates salary transparency, a number of doctors have admitted to going out of their way to help patients who did not have caring family members. Some said they would buy food, while others said they would pay for an e-hailing ride for their patients to return home safely.
The generosity of these doctors extended beyond managing their patients' medical needs.
According to the confessions, it is not uncommon for doctors to give money to their patients so that they can afford food
"As a doctor at a Klinik Kesihatan (Health Clinic), I frequently have to give money to my patients so they can buy food," one doctor explained.
They went on to say that they had previously given money to a patient who could not afford to buy baby formula for her toddler.
One medical student also recounted seeing a doctor slip a few RM50 notes to a patient, who was a homeless woman with a baby, while handing over their document.
"The doctor's kindness inspired me and made me rethink about life," said the student.
The Instagram post also revealed that some doctors would also travel to other clinics to get medications for their patients or use their own money to buy medical devices
"Even in tertiary hospitals, we sometimes need to buy food or medical devices for our patients," said one doctor.
They went on to say that they had once bought an oxygen tank and a spirometry device to help their patients get the proper treatment in time.
Another doctor stated that they had previously travelled to other clinics to help look for the right medication for their patients.
"I did everything with my own money," they said.
Some doctors have also helped patients who needed assistance getting home from the hospital
According to one doctor, some patients have slept at the hospital because they missed the last bus that could take them home.
"Doctors or nurses would order Grab for them so they wouldn't have to stay overnight in the hospital," they explained.
Another doctor who also worked at a Klinik Kesihatan confessed that he had elderly patients who lived in rural areas and could not afford to travel to his clinic.
The doctor added that these patients usually have to wait for hours just to get on a bus and get to their appointments.
He went on to say that he had previously participated in an outreach programme to check on elderly patients and discovered that most were living in poor conditions.
"I wish we could get more help to those in rural areas," he said.
