KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry does not discriminate against any religion, ethnicity or community groups in its delivery of healthcare services, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic).

He was responding to news about a doctor who had via a Facebook post hit out against social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir for her stand in supporting equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT).

"Please be informed that the Health Ministry adopts the principle of non-discrimination against any religion, ethnicity or community groups in delivering healthcare services," he tweeted on Saturday (Aug 11) night.

The doctor had written an open letter to Marina on Aug 6 questioning her on what she meant by asking for equal rights for the LGBT community.

The doctor said that while she does not endorse free sex, much less deviant sexual behaviour, she had provided LGBT patients with proper treatment.

In her post, she pointed out that those in the LGBT group had the highest rate of HIV infections, and that they were not allowed to donate blood because of their high-risk behaviour. Was this, she asked, the "equal rights" Marina was referring to?

"Just as you have called for rights, we too, want our right to live in peace and free from deviant lifestyles and the diseases they carry," she said, adding that they had a right to protect their children from being exposed to the LGBT lifestyle.

The post received 4,000 likes and was shared by 2,700 others but later deleted after complaints from netizens.

On Aug 5, Marina was reported by a news portal as stating that all she wanted was for the LGBT community to be given equal rights to education, treatment, work and protection, and not to get more rights that could challenge the laws such as allowing gay marriage.