PSM urges Selangor to prioritise public healthcare over private hospital expansion

SHAH ALAM – Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has questioned the Selangor Government’s continued expansion of private hospitals, saying the state should instead prioritise strengthening the public healthcare system.

PSM Deputy Secretary-General Gandipan Nantha Gopalan said the party took note of the Selangor State Executive Councillor for Public Health and Environment’s explanation that Selgate Specialist Hospital Rawang (SSHR) is categorised as a private hospital despite Selgate Corporation being wholly owned by the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

He said PSM also acknowledged Selgate’s role as a strategic partner of the state government through initiatives including Saringan Selangor, health promotion, affordable healthcare services and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

“However, for PSM, the fundamental question is not whether Selgate can carry out CSR initiatives or offer discounts to the public.

“The question is why a state government is choosing to continue expanding the private hospital sector when the public healthcare system itself is facing serious pressure,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

Gandipan said the state government should instead use its resources and influence to strengthen primary care, disease prevention, community health and support for healthcare workers.

He also called for greater cooperation between the state government and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to increase the capacity of public healthcare services.

PSM also raised concerns over Malaysia’s shortage of specialist doctors and experienced healthcare personnel, arguing that the opening of new hospitals could place further pressure on the public sector if both sectors rely on the same limited pool of healthcare workers.

“The expansion of the private sector may increase competition for scarce healthcare workers and consequently place further pressure on the public sector,” he said.

The party said it had previously called for a five-year moratorium on new private hospitals through its “Save the Public Healthcare System” campaign in 2025.

The campaign also called for increased public healthcare funding and measures to curb the commercialisation of healthcare, with PSM saying the position was reaffirmed at its 28th National Congress in 2026.

Gandipan said CSR initiatives and free health screenings should not be used to justify the expansion of private hospitals.

“CSR programmes may provide temporary assistance to some members of the public, but they do not change the fundamental nature of these hospitals as private hospitals,” he said.

PSM called on the Selangor Government to stop the expansion or establishment of new private hospitals through companies owned or controlled by the state government.

It also urged the state to stop using public capital and resources to expand private hospital capacity and instead prioritise public healthcare.

The party further called for the Selangor Government to disclose the amount of public capital and resources being used to expand Selgate’s healthcare business, as well as the justification for prioritising the investment over public healthcare needs.

PSM also proposed a public debate on the involvement of government-owned companies in the healthcare sector and called for a halt to the expansion of profit-driven healthcare models.

Gandipan stressed that PSM was not opposed to increasing healthcare capacity, but objected to doing so through private-sector expansion while the public healthcare system continued to face shortages of healthcare workers and resources.

“The Selangor State Government may not have the authority to build MOH hospitals. But the state government does have a choice about where state capital and influence are directed,” he said.

“In making that choice, PSM chooses not to add more private hospitals.”