KUALA LUMPUR - The Ministry of Health Malaysia will investigate allegations that some foreign patients have bypassed administrative procedures to avoid paying hospital deposits.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the claims surfaced following viral social media posts allegedly written by a nurse at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

The posts claimed that certain foreign patients avoided paying deposits by declaring they did not possess passports and submitting a form known as Lampiran A to qualify for treatment.

Dzulkefly said the ministry has yet to confirm the authenticity of the claims.

“We have not yet verified the authenticity of the report, but it is important for us to investigate the matter thoroughly.

“At the same time, we must respect those who come forward with information, and we also want whistleblowers to be protected,” he told a press conference on March 15, as reported by The Star.

He said that under the ministry’s standard operating procedures, all foreign patients are required to pay a deposit before being admitted to wards at government hospitals.

Dr Dzulkefly said the deposit for third-class wards is set at RM1,400 for medical cases and RM2,800 for surgical cases.

He said the payment must be made before admission into hospital wards.

“For foreign patients holding a UNHCR card, they are given a 50 per cent discount on the deposit amount,” he said, referring to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

He added that deposit payments are waived only for patients covered under certain insurance schemes.

These include the Foreign Workers Hospitalisation and Surgical Insurance Scheme or refugee medical insurance programmes.

“If a patient does not have insurance or sufficient funds, they will be asked to contact family members or friends to help provide the required deposit.

“That is our SOP and we do not compromise on this,” he said.

Dr Dzulkefly explained that the Lampiran A form applies only to critical emergency cases handled in hospital emergency departments.

He said the form allows hospitals to temporarily defer deposit payments so patients in life-threatening conditions can receive immediate treatment.

“Lampiran A only allows for a postponement of payment while resuscitation and stabilisation are carried out.

“It does not exempt patients from payment.

“This is part of our ‘no wrong door policy’, which ensures that emergency cases are treated immediately to stabilise the patient and remove them from immediate danger,” he said.

He stressed that once patients are stabilised and admitted to wards, the process of collecting the deposit will proceed.

“So it is not correct to say that they receive treatment for free or that they are exempt from payment.

“And this practice is applied across all emergency and trauma facilities under the Health Ministry nationwide,” he said.

The issue emerged after social media posts circulated online alleging that some foreign patients had misused administrative procedures to obtain free treatment.

The posts claimed that certain individuals declared they did not possess passports so hospitals would process their cases under Lampiran A and allegedly avoid paying deposits.