Ministry is being penny wise pound foolish

I READ the many letters to the editor in The Star this week lamenting on the Health Ministry’s (MOH) plan to reduce the number of slots for the master’s degree for medical specialisation.

This is akin to the proverbial “penny wise pound foolish” as the MOH does not or pretends not to comprehend the acute and chronic shortage of medical specialists especially surgeons of various disciplines.

The master’s programme is a clinical programme where the doctors work and study at the same time unlike other master’s courses.

These doctors not only have to work their normal working hours and beyond, but they also have to attend classes and study for their examinations and practicals and prepare for their viva.

Let us take the example of an average family. When times are not so good, do we stop our children from pursuing their tertiary education which will ensure they have a promising future and instead use our resources and money to buy a new car, a new apartment, dine at five star and posh restaurants or even go on vacations?

We need to get our priorities right and sacrifice other lesser important expenditure and delete our wants; and instead be focused and spend on our real needs.

Many of us have used up all our life savings and mortgaged and sold our only house just so that we can send our children to medical school.

This is a big sacrifice but we had to do it because our children did not get any scholarships nor study loans when we needed it.

The MOH must urgently rethink their plans to trim the scholarships for the master’s programme and consider its repercussion and long-term implications.

Please also remember that these young doctors, between the ages of 28 to 36, will form the largest age-group of voters in the next general elections in 2018. And being learned and having the power to influence, they will not fear or favour anyone or any party.

I sincerely hope our Prime Minister, the Health Minister, the director- generals of Health and Public Services Department, and the Chief Secretary to the Government will institute immediate corrective and preventive measures in addressing this critical and crucial issue which will eventually effect the poorest stratum of the rakyat.

ROSLAN SHARIF

Kuala Krai Kelantan