Urgent need to address shortage of medical officers in Malaysia

We refer to a letter from the parents of a West Malaysian medical officer (MO) published in a widely-circulated English newspaper on Oct 12.

The parents, in the letter, expressed their envy for Sarawakian MOs, who were being helped by the SUPP education bureau which hereby expresses its sympathy and support to the West Malaysian parents whose children are facing similar problems experienced by Sarawakian MOs.

Our views are as follows:

1) The parents concerned should bravely work together with parents of other MOs who face similar problems and bring the matter publicly to the attention of the Health Minister. We suggest the parents concerned should either write to the Prime Minister or to their own members of parliament e.g., Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong or Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon who are very experienced in solving many social issues faced by all communities.

We understand the parents' and MOs' hesitance not to come out openly because of a clause in their contracts of employment which prohibits MOs to seek outside help. We view this clause as oppressive, a travesty of justice and against human rights. This said clause should be deleted from any employment contract let alone government employments.

2) On Sept 16 in Sibu in the presence of SUPP leaders, the Health Minister, after reading letters of appeal from parents and a letter of support from the Sarawak Chief Minister, did give the assurance to Sarawakian MOs that "all considered done. Please ask the parents not to worry". However, to the best of our knowledge, Sarawakian MOs who have passed part of their post-graduate examinations are still waiting for their permanent posts. Seeing is believing. It is too early to celebrate.

(3) The Health Ministry has been blaming that the present predicaments faced by MOs on contract are caused by a large surplus of doctors. With due respect, this is only one of the reasons causing the glut of doctors. We deeply regret and are very disappointed that the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) have not come out with any other proposal or new policy to solve the problems caused by the oversupply of doctors.

(4) As such, SUPP Education Bureau would like to make the following proposals:

a) The Health Ministry and MMC must have the political courage to drastically limit the number of medical students each year as soon as possible and to raise a much higher minimum entrance requirements to read medicine. MMC bears the professional duty to advise the Minister of Health on new policies that will reduce the oversupply of doctors urgently.

b) The Health Ministry and MMC must urgently introduce a common professional examination like the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) for all doctors irrespective of whether they are graduates from local or overseas medical schools.

All medical graduates must sit for the licensing examination before being posted to hospitals for their housemanship.

c) The Health Ministry must also disclose the criteria of offering permanent posts to MOs on contract. We have repeated this demand many times already but for reasons only best known to MOH, it seems it has fallen on deaf ears.

d) It is an undisputed fact that Malaysia seriously lacks medical specialists in Malaysia, particularly in the rural areas of Sarawak. The Health Ministry must seriously start training competent MOs so that in 10 years time from now, Malaysia will not face a serious shortage of medical specialists.

As such, we are of the strong view that the Health Ministry must implement its own directive dated Feb 16,2016 entitled "Makluman mengenai peluang dan tatacara bagi pegawai perubatan mengikuti latihan kepakaran melalui laluan paralel di hospital KKM bagi bidang yang berkaitan pembedahan".

This directive clearly stipulates that priorities will be given to those MOs who have passed the part 1 or part A of the parallel pathways eg MRCP (physician), MRCPCH (pediatrics), MRCOG (obstetrics & gynecology), MRCS (surgery) etc.

DATUK DING KUONG HIING

Meradong assemblyman

SUPP education bureau chairman