Flu season bites hard as families battle high medical bills

PUTRAJAYA – What started as a simple fever quickly turned into a financial nightmare for many Malaysian families, some paying nearly RM1,000 in less than a week just to treat influenza.

For 37-year-old private sector employee Azlina Mohamad Jantan, it began when her husband tested positive for the disease on Thursday. The doctor advised home quarantine. Two days later, her 14-year-old son began showing symptoms. By Tuesday, her youngest was infected too.

"Each one needed about RM300 which is the consultation, the swab test and the medicines. Altogether, RM900. It’s not easy," she said.

She later discovered others were facing similar ordeals. A neighbour told her their clinic charged around RM270, slightly less, but still painful for the average household.

“I think it’s the antiviral medicine that’s really expensive,” she added.

Across social media, similar laments poured in, stories of families blindsided not just by illness, but by the cost of recovery.

Social media user Ziela Azmi posted about being hit with an RM550 bill for her children’s treatment.

“When my kids got influenza, I went to the clinic, got the antiviral medcine. Then I saw the bill, RM550. I just froze," she said.

Health experts have urged families to take influenza vaccinations, which cost around RM75 a year, a small price compared to high medical bills that could come with falling sick.

the financial storm that could follow an infection.

In Pahang, banker Ahmad Shahrul Nizam, 44, recounted how influenza A invaded his household of five.

“If my wife didn’t work at a private hospital, we wouldn’t have managed the cost,” he said.

It began with his second child, who was hospitalised after a high fever. Within days, him and his two other children were infected.

“Thinking of the total cost, I could’ve easily spent thousands. This was our first time getting influenza as a family. We’ll definitely be getting vaccinated next time," he added.

In Melaka, housewife Maizatul Syarina Syafie, 44, faced a similar dilemma. Her 10-year-old developed a high fever and tests confirmed influenza.

Fearing it would spread, she brought all four of her children, including her three-year-old to test for the virus.

“Only my husband works, but we had no choice. Each test was over RM150. For four kids, you do the math,” she said.

In Kelantan, private sector worker Liyana Ahmad, 49, said all three of her children, aged six to 14 caught the flu at the same time.

The bill, she said was nearly RM1,000.

“The influenza test alone was RM70. The antiviral medicines were RM180. Other medicines added up to almost RM300 per child,” she said.

When she asked about it, she said the doctor said the medication had to be sourced from Terengganu due to nationwide shortages.

“We had no choice but to dip into our savings. What mattered most was getting the children well again,” she added.

Meanwhile, in Selangor, Fara Abdullah, 43, was shocked when her 20-year-old daughter’s flu medication alone cost RM200.

“That didn’t even include the medicine for me and my husband. Because we were in close contact, over an hour in the car, the doctor advised us to take preventive medication too. Another RM200 gone," she said.