Urgent reforms are needed in the healthcare system so that Malaysians may be better safeguarded against the serious 'side effects' of the modern healthcare system. In addition, the Malaysian Medical Council must be made accountable to Parliament.

The right to a safe, effective, affordable and high-quality of medical care must be given utmost priority as it affects millions of Malaysians.

Deaths or disabilities caused by modern medical care should not be readily accepted as matters of 'fate'. It is not fate but the failure of a system that was to provide us with a safe and effective treatment together with the best clinical practice. Nothing less.

Yes, modern healthcare may have saved many lives but it also may be harming millions of patients around the world each year. Excerpts from research carried out in the US, Australia and United Kingdom indicate the seriousness of the problem.

• US 783,936 patient deaths;

Malaysian government hospitals treat about 48 million outpatient cases and 1,7 million in-patients ( The Star , Dec 16, 2004) while private doctors see about 16 million patients ( New Straits Times , Sept 8, 2004) a year.

'All of us in the health sector are aware that clinical risks and medical errors that infringe on patient safety do occur. The question is how many such incidents have occurred....,' said Dr Ismail Merican, the director-general of health ( NST , Sept 5, 2004).

Why are such critical questions being asked by the 'guardians' of our healthcare system only now? Aren't medical errors or adverse patient outcomes as old as modern medicine itself? Is there a quota for medical errors before urgent and appropriate attention is given to rigorously safeguarding patients' rights and safety in Malaysia?

The Malaysian Medical Council has said previously that it 'is not ordinarily concerned with errors in diagnosis or treatment " Then what has it been all this while? As the licencing authority and regulatory body of the medical profession, is it not the MMC's duty to safeguard the public's health through various disciplinary measures, systems, policies and procedures?

The Shipman Inquiry as well as the Review of Professional Indemnity Arrangements for Healthcare Professionals , amongst others, include many invaluable findings and recommendations for making meaningful quality and safety improvements to the healthcare delivery system as a whole.

I am sure our Health Ministry could easily adopt many of the recommendations to further strengthen its rather 'weak' patient protection measures without further delay. This could be carried out immediately while we all await an independent body to conduct a transparent study to answer the director-general of health's question above.

Although, The Patient Safety Council of Malaysia was approved by the cabinet in January 2003, what has it achieved to date? Is it still standing at only having two meetings? And what about the long awaited Private Hospital Facilities and Services Act 1998?

The Health Ministry must also be absolutely open and transparent with the public regarding all issues that concern public safety and its well-being.

We have left our health in the hands of modern healthcare for far too long and have allowed it to dictate our lives. We need assurance that we are not being treated with many dangerous and unproven medicines or medical care which could have serious and fatal 'side-effects.'

We need an effective, transparent and responsible regulatory system that has the interests of the public at heart. We need it now.