MMC steps up to stop the rot

Health director-general and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) president Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah is aware that there are Malaysian graduates from foreign universities without minimal entry qualifications.

He knows about the poor performance of many younger doctors, graduates from certain overseas universities.

Although the council does not have the authority to regulate entry into medical courses in overseas universities, he assures that these concerns are being addressed. He says measures include:

• Striking off uncontactable universities from the Second Schedule of the Medical Act 1971. Under the Act, qualifications of over 350 universities worldwide are recognised by the council.
• Introducing new rules to ensure that those who pass the qualifying examination have sufficient knowledge and skills to practise (graduates from universities not listed in the Second Schedule must sit for the qualifying exam).
• Possibly making all graduates from foreign medical schools sit for a licensing examination before they are granted registration in the country.
• Continuously appraising the standard of medical education to recommend improvements to the MOHE and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).