Undang-Undang Jagaan Kesihatan Ibu Di Malaysia: Hak Pesakit Wanita di Hospital Kerajaan

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction Women as patients is a normal situation. However, women patients of the obstetric and gynaecology category are of a different category. This is because obstetric and gynaecology patients will be warded in the maternity ward and labour room according to the needs of their care and treatment. The care and treatments in the maternity ward and labour room involving the care and treatments by a special team of trained medical doctors, midwives and nurses in obstetrics and gynaecology areas of expertise. Hence, the importance of scutinising the relevant laws and legislations pertaining to the protection of female patients’ rights when they are utilising the maternity ward and labour room are fundamental in determining whether such rights existing in our healthcare services pertaining to pregnant women. Healthcare laws relating to women’s healthcare and government health policy on pregnant women are scrutinised to ascertained whether the laws and policy give impact or effect to the healthcare services rendered, including scrutinising the qualification, capability and the quantity of obstetric and gynaecology doctors on whether it fulfils the requirement of the government hospitals’ maternity ward and labour room. Methods Doctrinal research method is adopted with applying the empirical approach whereby interviews and a focus group discussion were held with the O&G specialist doctors and selected medical officer and staff nurses of Maternity Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Results The finding shows that there are already in placed a policy of the Ministry of Health Malaysia outlining the women patients’ rights in maternity ward and labour room. However, there are deficiencies from the aspect of law and government policy wherein there is no specific laws in relation to pregnant patient rights nor is there a clear policy on women health. Conclusions The writing concludes that there is a need for a new policy to re-establish governance in maternity ward and to further enhance health care quality for women patients hence, to appropriately define the position of women patients’ rights in the government hospital’s maternity ward.