Tutorial 1.

Part 1: Highlight/ underline the important points

Part 2

Write a summary using your own words on the advantages of private hospitals over public
hospitals in about 100 words.

Private hospitals are important in developing countries as health care is becoming more
expensive and governments are finding it difficult to meet the demands of the growing
population. Health care costs have skyrocketed because of higher remuneration of hospital
staff, more state-of-the-art equipment, rising cost of medicines and higher operational costs.
The Malaysian government is encouraging the establishment of more private hospitals
to improve the quality of health care to those who can afford it. This will ease the burden
of overcrowding in public hospitals. At present, there are many private hospitals in the
country. These hospitals offer excellent facilities to patients but at such exorbitant rates that
only the rich can afford them. Nowadays, private hospitals look more like five-star hotels,
equipped with television sets, comfortable sofas, and carpeted floors. The pleasant
environment is conducive to the needs of the patient, that is, to have plenty of rest, good
nursing care and comfort. They also have ample parking space for staff and public, clear
directions within the hospital for quick and easy access and a carefully planned landscape.
These hospitals are privately run and have a team of reputable specialists who are experts
in their own fields. That is why a lot of people seek them out even though their consultation
fees are extremely high.
Some people, who cannot afford treatment in private hospitals, sometimes resort to
borrowing money from friends and relatives so that they can obtain quick and efficient
medical treatment. They will go to great lengths to obtain finance so that they can get the
specialised care and treatment that they need.
Private hospitals employ more up-to-date techniques using state-of-the-art equipments.
They also provide efficient patient management with the use of computers and telemedicine
networks. There is keen competition among private hospitals but this is healthy because
each hospital will strive to keep up to its high standards of efficiency, good reputation and
a highly-specialised medical team.
Presently, people who are poor and have no means of getting treatment in private
hospitals have no alternative but to go to public hospitals which are always crowded.
Sometimes, patients have to wait for hours before they are attended to. These problems
occur because the public hospitals are understaffed.
The doctors in the public hospitals are overworked and underpaid and it is their
dedication that keeps them persevering in their jobs. There is also an acute shortage of
nurses and medical assistants. The wards are always cramped with patients. Sometimes
these patients feel neglected when they are not attended to immediately. All these problems
are unavoidable because there is just not enough staff.
The Malaysian government is planning to introduce a health care plan which will
include medical insurance. This will be a positive step as it will make quality health care
more easily available and affordable to everyone. Medical insurance premiums can be
deducted from the workers’ monthly Employees’ Provident Fund or Socso contributions.
This will not impose a financial burden on the employees as they do not have to incur extra
costs or deductions. When this scheme is implemented, more people will be able to seek
treatment in private hospitals and public hospitals will become less congested.