Medics president hails move to extend freeze

PETALING JAYA: The extension of the freeze on new medical courses in all local institutions is a good move, especially with the limited number of housemanship posts.

Malaysian Medics International president S. S. Vikkineshwaran said the extension was much needed because the country was approaching a surplus of medical graduates and at the same time, the Government was not putting in additional housemanship or medical officer posts.

“With the Health Ministry not creating new jobs, it is good to limit the number of medical students,” said Vikkineshwaraan, who heads a student movement.

He added that it would also be wise for the Higher Education Ministry to increase the minimum entry requirement for medical students, adding that he agreed with the Malaysian Medical Council’s proposal to raise this to 5As for SPM.

However, he said the Government should also ensure that doctors have emotional intelligence.

“This is important and will ensure that our doctors are intelligent as well as humane,” he said.

Management executive Linda Ong, 46, believes that the extension of the moratorium would ensure better control over the standard of local medical courses.

“These courses are meant to produce doctors whom we trust with our lives. So, there should be stringent procedures in maintaining standards,” said Ong, who enrolled her daughter in a medical school here this year.

Lawyer Dinesh Muthal, 30, who is funding his sister’s medical education at a local private university, agreed with the extension but called on the Government to safeguard the interests of students.

He said if the moratorium was removed, there was the possibility that anyone could open up a college or a medical course and this might affect the quality.

“However, with the moratorium in place, the current institutions may monopolise the market and raise fees indiscriminately over the years,” he said, urging for control over the number of graduates from foreign institutions.

There are 394 recognised foreign schools listed in the Second Schedule of the Medical Act 1971.

Dr Kartik Kaliyana Sundram, 30, who is attached to a government clinic in Merchang, Terengganu, said with the moratorium, she hoped that graduates would not need to wait six to 12 months to start housemanship.

“It will also be helpful in mana­ging the issue of jobless housemen and fresh graduates,” she said.