KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 850 Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) students caught in uncertainty over their UK training pathway can still practise in Malaysia, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) had confirmed that NUMed graduates remained recognised under the Medical Act 1971 and that the Second Schedule of the Act would remain unchanged.
“All decisions related to registration, training and professional qualifications are carried out based on the requirements set by MMC.
“The Second Schedule will be maintained with no changes, and there is no obstacle for us to train these medical graduates to become doctors,” he told reporters after an event here on Thursday.
The issue arose after Newcastle University acknowledged that medical graduates from its Malaysian campus had been placed on a lower priority for training placements in the United Kingdom than graduates from UK-based medical schools.
Dzulkefly, however, encouraged students to continue their studies at NUMed, describing it as a recognised medical school approved by the MMC.
“We have investigated and approved the programme through MMC,” he said.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab said the ministry was monitoring developments involving NUMed, and discussions were ongoing with relevant parties.
“At the core, the registration of our medical graduates still follows MMC guidelines and regulations,” he said.
Dzulkefly added that further details on possible government-to-government engagement could not yet be disclosed.
On another matter, the Health Ministry acknowledged concerns raised in a recent report by the Malaysian Medical Association about house officers allegedly working between 65 and 85 hours per week.
"New guidelines would soon be issued to strengthen existing regulations on working hours and housemanship training," Mahathar said.
He stressed that house officers should not be treated merely as “extra pairs of hands” in hospitals.
“In the next few days, there will be another circular to reinforce the implementation of working hour regulations so that they are followed according to the original guidelines,” he said.
