Help with doctors’ licence applications

I REFER to the letter written by Hope For A Better Tomorrow from Penang, published on June 23 in the Opinions section of The Star Online website (“Doctors’ long wait for licence” at bit.ly/star_wait).

The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) is aware of and understands the problems currently faced by some registered medical practitioners in applying for their annual practicing certificates (APCs) through the APC online system.

A system crash that occurred towards the end of last year contributed towards the difficulties faced by the letter writer. Practi-tioners were advised to apply for their APCs manually and to contact the MMC should they have any issues or questions.

The present medical practitioner database management system in use at the MMC is an aged one, inherited from a time prior to the council’s corporatisation on July 1, 2017. The development of an upgraded and more robust IT system and a new data management system is now underway and will, it is hoped, address any shortcomings of the current system.

Despite the limitations, the council has managed to produce 50,692 APCs to date and the current waiting time has been reduced to four weeks. Unfortunately, there will be some practitioners who will still face difficulties, as experienced by the letter writer.

Meanwhile, the council has been conducting a series of roadshows in several states since February this year to assist medical practitioners.

These roadshows provide information and a “One Day Issuance” service, ie same-day service for application and receipt of APCs for 2020. These efforts will continue until the new data management system is complete and stable.

To assist the letter writer, he or she may contact the MMC CEO directly at [e-mail] and provide his or her particulars.

Thank you.

DATUK DR MOHD KHAIRI YAKUB

Chief Executive Officer

Malaysian Medical Council