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The Star published an article, ‘Hope Yet For Med Grads’ , dated April 10, 2008. We were very saddened to know, that the Health Minister and the Director General of Health, have failed to understand the plight of our situation. This issue should not be treated as a platform for showing ones power or a battle of egos, or a money making scam.
Graduated since the year 1992, and having families to support, with no steady income, to come up with the finances time and again for trainings and examinations, is not only near impossible but even unreasonable for most of us. Even if we are helped by the government giving us loans, for those of us who have passed and received our medical degrees over 15 years ago, to go for a compulsory course of 3 years, then sit for the final exam, only to become a houseman seems unfair and impractical. After this process, one has to slave for 2 years as a houseman, and 3 years as a medical officer, and then is eligible for permanent registration. Many of us will be near retirement age, and this proposal seems unrealistic. We seem to be getting the shorter end of the stick. Our background No individual willfully goes to an unscheduled medical school/ college/university. Most of our parents have more than one child to educate, and all children are given equal opportunities. Some of us have two siblings in the family who have the desire to become doctors, and our parents try to fulfill those desires as best they can. There are agents who help us choose the medical school /college / university, or we go through the embassy, which advises us on colleges suitable to our needs and recognized by the MMC (Malaysian Medical Council). In this situation, it becomes very difficult for more than one child from one family, to be sent to colleges recommended by agents, as they charge a hefty fee for it, which is almost impossible to come up with.
· Some of the students (JPA sponsored) were sent to unscheduled universities. It may have been an oversight, but the JPA should have done their homework before sending some students to unscheduled Universities. It has cost them their right to employment, and their livelihood. · Being Malaysian, and not knowing much about the country we were going to for further education, we were left with no other choice but to depend on the agents. We were sent to the country with intention of enrollment into a recognized university. But as the university had overloaded their quota of foreign students, we were sent to other unscheduled universities with an assurance and promise to transfer us back to the scheduled university after the completion of our first year M.B.B.S. But this transfer never took place. · We have lost more than 10 years of our lives in having our basic degree recognized in Malaysia. It is a pity that we, being Malaysians, are deprived of our right to employment in our own country. And it is a tragedy that doctors from other countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and India, who have the same quality of education as us, and are at a disadvantage of not knowing the local language, are being employed in Malaysia. · Most of us come from middle class families, with children and aged parents relying on our support, financially and emotionally.
Cabinet’s resolution to absorb unscheduled university doctors revoked According to an article in ‘The Star’, titled Unaccredited - degree docs ‘will not hurt quality’, dated 17.02.2002, former Health Minister Dato’ Chua Jui Meng said, “There are many well-known universities to in the country’s recognition list but it does not mean they are not good universities,”…. ….Chua said the government recognized medical degrees from about 300 universities worldwide but there were still many good universities whose medical degrees and facilities have yet to be evaluated by his ministry. As mentioned by him in another article in ‘The Star’, titled Unrecognised ‘docs’ allowed in govt service, three-year training condition applies, dated 08.02.2002, “Many of them (unscheduled doctors) are graduates from renowned medical colleges in India and China; as well as universities in developed countries in the West with degrees which are not recognized locally”. Despite this, Malaysia Medical Council (MMC) imposed a six months self-sponsored preparatory course, conducted by the 3 local universities, namely, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaya (UM), before attempting an examination in order to get into the healthcare system. The examination results were appalling. Despite all attempts, unscheduled doctors are unemployed till date.
Legitimacy of recognition status awarded by MMC to medical institutions Some of the grievances pointed out are as follows: Ø India – two colleges, under the same university, having the same curriculum, undergoing the same rigorous training, appearing for the same university held stringent medical examination, receiving the same university degrees, get different registration status by the MMC. Ø Indonesia – MMC allowed students to transfer over to a recognized university after completion of 4 years of education in an unrecognised university. These recognized universities took a capitation fee of RM 60,000 for the same. So, technically the theory of an unscheduled university should also be recognized by MMC. Since the scheduled and unscheduled universities undergo the same clinical training at the same government hospitals, with the same professors and lecturers, their clinical training should also be recognized Ø Syria – MMC argues that the education is in Arabic. How then can they justify their intake of doctors from Egypt, and universities from other Arab countries, who also have their education in Arabic? Ø World renowned universities like Louis Pasteur University, Munich University, Hamburg University etc. are not recognized by MMC. This clearly shows that recognition is not done on the bases of quality, but, done arbitrarily. Ø Baghdad University and Basrah University are still recognized as per the updated list of scheduled/recognized medical schools/universities, dated October 2005, courtesy Dr. Wan Mazlan Bin Md. Woojdy, Secretary, MMC. Despite the university being literally dysfunctional due to the war and military and civilian unrest, present in Iraq till date, recognition status is awarded to them. Ø All colleges meeting the standards set by WHO, are listed under the WHO (World Health Organisation). This indicates that all the medical colleges, registered and unscheduled by the MMC (Malaysian Medical Council), enjoy the same status under the WHO. Many of the universities / medical schools, unrecognised by MMC, are over 30 years old, have their own hospitals for student doctors to learn and practice. Many local medical colleges, mushrooming all over Malaysia, boasting to be among the most prestigious, started barely 3-4 years ago, short of staff and equipment, have no hospital of their own and use the facilities of general hospitals closest to them or the ones that are willing to entertain them, for their training purposes. Registered and unregistered universities go through the same standards of training and examination, then why are all foreign graduates not made to go through the same qualifying examination in Malaysia, to get into the Healthcare system? Why are there different sets of rules for different colleges? Why are we getting step motherly treatment from the MMC? Ø Many of the colleges in India, recognized my MMC, have been de-recognised by the (MCI) Medical Council of India. Double standards being practiced in Malaysia Ø Self-financed foreigners, qualified from unscheduled universities, have been taken in by local universities to pursue their masters program in all disciplines in Medical Sciences, and even given employment after the completion of their course. Being allowed to do a masters program means these foreigners are given limited registration to do their clinical studies. E.g. Dr. Z, having his basic medical degree from an unscheduled university, did his masters in a local university, and then was employed as a lecturer for a tenure of 5 years. According to the MMC regulations, a doctor cannot examine or perform procedures on a patient unless he is registered with the MMC. When questioned, we were told that they could pursue their masters, as they were foreigners. Being allowed to do a Masters program means that these foreigners are given limited registration to do their clinical studies. Why the double standards? Why are we being denied this special consideration when we want to join the healthcare system to serve in our country, for our country? Are we not Malaysians? Why are foreigners getting preference over us? So, a Malaysian of Indian or Chinese origin, can give up their Malaysian Passports, obtain Indian or Chinese passports and would be treated with respect in this country. What about the Malays? What passport can they obtain? Is there no value for a Malaysian passport in Malaysia? We also want to be a part of the Malaysia we were born in, grown up in, the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ that we are familiar with. Ø Foreign doctors from Egypt, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India etc. have been employed to reduce the shortage of doctors. They have language barriers and are unable to speak Bahasa Malaysia. The Egyptian doctors cannot communicate with their patients, hence, Malaysian doctors are working overtime and underpaid, to help these foreign doctors. Individuals speaking Arabic are being brought in for interpretation purposes. Ø Dr. Kuljit Singh, Hon. Deputy Secretary, MMA, in his article, ‘Clinical Specialist Register, A good move forward….’ Berita MMA, edition July, 2006, states clearly that, “we take in foreign doctors from unrecognised universities but deprive our own citizens to practice, if they come from similar unrecognised places. Sometimes it looks odd, but we have to digest these facts gracefully.” The term ‘Safe’ vs. ‘Unsafe’ doctors questionable · Dr. X, a ‘recognised’ doctor from a General Hospital, had been in his first posting for over 8 years. He absconded from the hospital for days on end, and yet he was on the government payrolls for years on end. · Another case, Dr. Y, a ‘safe’ doctor, went to India to pursue medicine in 1967. He took 30 years to complete the course. He came to join the service when he was 48 years. The MMC had to have a special meeting to decide whether he should be taken into service or not. They eventually did take him into service as he was from a recognized college. He was posted in a General Hospital too. · Many individuals pose to be medically sound, and open their own ‘businesses’ to ‘serve the public’. Bomohs and individuals practicing traditional medicine, curative and conventional treatments, are conducting procedures like needle puncturing and even giving out prescriptions. How are these procedures and prescriptions safe to the public? · We are qualified doctors and yet are considered ‘dangerous’ to the public. It has also been brought to the notice of many, that Pharmacies are monitoring blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and even prescribing diabetic and hypertensive medication. Pharmacists are not formally trained or qualified to do the same, and yet they do so. Is that safe to the public? · We are qualified doctors, and yet some of us work in pharmaceutical warehouses, some of us resort to selling different products to make a living. Some of us are forced to sit at home; unable to get employment, as we know no other skills apart from the skills we have been trained and qualified for. We are qualified professionals, and yet we are ‘unrecognised’. What is ‘unrecognition’? Advantages of holding a Unified Examination The aim of a unified examination should be to check the doctor’s competence in the faculties of medicine and their ability to function optimally within the Malaysian healthcare system. The qualifying examination system being held by the universities in the past years have proven to be a failure. Not only does one feel that this examination is biased, as proved by the results time and again, but it seems to us like an easy way to make quick money. Unless a serious and honest attempt to modify the present system of examinations made, this whole examination charade must be abolished. The aim of a training program should not be a means of collecting proof of the foreign graduate’s incompetence as medical doctors, but, should be a means to ensure they are or are capable of turning into wholesome ‘safe’ doctors, suitable to the Malaysian public and healthcare system. By conducting a unified examination, like the UK has PLAB and US has USMLE for all foreign graduates, one will benefit as follows:- Ø There will be no unwarranted distinction between unrecognised and recognized colleges and universities. Ø It will put an end to recognized colleges charging exorbitant capitation fees from foreign students. On receiving recognition status, they start charging an outrageous amount , doubling and even tripling the capitation fee, overnight. Ø It will also put an end to agents/middlemen, who take huge cuts and hefty fee to enroll the desperate aspiring young students into a ‘recognised’ college. Ø This will help MMC avoid spending huge amounts of public funds to go to other countries to evaluate and award recognition status to other colleges and universities. Ø This will give an opportunity to middle class Malaysians, who cannot enter the local universities due to the quota system, to realize their dream. Disadvantages of qualifying examinations being held at the Universities The result of examinations conducted by the local universities are skewed. The system of training, examination and expectations of students vary greatly. Unscheduled students from some universities were placed for their training in non-teaching hospitals instead of the universities conducting the examinations. The university hospitals and the ‘teaching / non-teaching hospitals’ had very different methods of training, functioning and expectations. Appearing time and again for the same biased examinations has not only shattered our confidence and self-esteem, it has also put us into a huge amount of debt. Without employment, we are forced to borrow the required huge funds from the banks, relatives, parents, loan sharks and well-wishers, with the hope that we would have our dreams realized.
Despite paying the exorbitant preparatory course and examination fee, one is not allowed to use any of the facilities at the universities. There is no access to the university library, no permission to go and examine patients or go on hospital grand rounds. Classes are not regular, and one is often informed that the concerned lecturers are busy. Needless to say, the results are appalling.
Every time the Health Minister changes, or the MMC feels threatened, they throw a bone to us, asking us to sit for a ‘one –off exam’ which they have brought about thrice under 3 different Health ministers. Old wine in new bottle.
AIMS faculty is in its infancy. The Health Minister and Director General expect full fledged doctors coming from 30 to 100 year old universities, to re-do Medicine in universities/colleges that have just started functioning, in the name of acquainting us with the Malaysian Healthcare System is insulting and ridiculous.
STATISTICS AND CURRENT DOCTOR TO POPULATION RATIO Till date there are 450 qualified medical doctors in Malaysia, from unrecognized universities. One keeps reading ‘200 unrecognised doctors’, but all fail to realize that this count was taken in the year 2001. What happens to the doctors who are passing out every year. There are about 450 undocumented Malaysian citizens, who are unemployed despite having valid degrees. Many of the doctors, disheartened by the partiality being practiced in the medical sector, have left their home country, to a foreign land only to earn a livelihood. We are qualified doctors, and yet some of us work in pharmaceutical warehouses, car sales, insurance policies, and some of us resort to selling different products to make a living. Some of us are forced to sit at home; unable to get employment, as we know no other skills apart from the skills we have been trained and qualified for. We are qualified professionals, and yet we are ‘unrecognised’. There has always been a critical shortage of doctors in Malaysia, and the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Medical Council have opted in the past and are still recruiting foreign doctors to fill in the vacancies, many of whom have their undergraduate qualifications from unrecognized universities. We are Malaysians, have a medical degree, and yet find ourselves unemployed. The DG, YBhg Datuk Dr Hj Mohd Ismail Merican, paid a working visit to Kota Kinabalu. He is quoted as saying, “ ‘My door is always open’. I want to use this as an introduction to my topic this month of the Berita. I would like to open the door for doctors to serve in the less popular states of Sabah and Sarawak. The MMA, in particular SCHOMOS, have always been concerned about the geographical distribution of doctors. In 1990, we published a booklet that addressed the needs of doctors reporting to Sabah. We were also involved in the production of a short video showing the benefits of serving in Sabah. However, all these efforts have been in vain as the figures below. | 1968 | 2006 | | Doctor – Population Ratio: Sabah / Sarawak - NA Malaysia – 1 : 4162 | Doctor – Population Ratio : Sabah – 1 : 4000 Sarawak – 1 : 2300 Klang Valley – 1 : 500 Malaysia – 1 : 1500 | According to Professor Mafauzy Mohammad, Director of Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health campus, the present doctor to population ratio is about 1 : 1500, and this needs to be brought down to 1 : 600 by the year 2020. He says that there are expectations of the Malaysian Healthcare to be on par or even better than the developed nations by the year 2020. But, if the present statistics are anything to go by, he says we are still behind and will likely remain behind if we were to persist with the present rate. Mafauzy Mohammad, Director of Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 10, No. 1, Jan 2003 (1-3), Editorial, Medical Schools : The Supply and Availability of Qualified Human Resources – Challenges And Opportunities. This is not just a question of giving us a job. It is helping us move on with Life. Dr. A, 43 years, passed MBBS in 1994. He left for survival abroad to further his career and employment. He was pursuing a Masters Degree in Forensic Sciences, Glasgow University, United Kingdom Dato’ Chua Jui Meng announced that he was giving all the unrecognized medical graduates a chance to be absorbed. Dr. A, self-financing his course in the UK, thought this was an opportunity of a life time. He discontinued his course after completing one year, and returned homeland to join “Housemanship Program”, only to be disappointed yet again by all the false promises. Dr. B, 34 years, passed MBBS in 2004. He dreams of doing MRCP, and enrolling in a Masters program, but he is unable to pursue that as he is not registered as a medical practitioner in his country of domicile. Since he is not attached to any hospital, he is unable to get the required training to appear for the MRCP, and he is unable to obtain a letter of ‘Good Standing’, in order to apply for a master’s course outside Malaysia. He is Malaysian, but he is not allowed to apply for a Masters program in Malaysia, as he is from an ‘unrecognized’ university. Only foreigners from Sudan, Bangladesh, Egypt etc. can apply for masters programs and work in Malaysia, irrespective of their basic medical qualifications. Dr. C, 37 years, passed MD in 2001. She has a flourishing family business, which extends worldwide. But no amount of money and fame can help her achieve her goal. Her passion is medicine and serving the people. Her only aim and dream is to serve in the Malaysian healthcare system. Dr. D, 49 years, passed MBBS in 1992. He has 8 children to feed. His eldest child is a straight A’s student, currently pursuing medicine in a local university. According to the Health Minister and Director General of Health, Dr. D must go for a 3 year course, appear for an exam, hoping to pass not simply on the medical knowledge and skills acquired by him, but depending on the mood of the examiner. God willing, he passes, he will join as a houseman, long after his daughter has completed her compulsory government service. Dr. E, 44 years, passed MBBS in 1994. He needs a loan for his mother’s treatment. No bank is willing to entertain him as he doesn’t have the necessary documents to support his application for a loan. Dr. F, 34 years, passed MBBS in 2003. Her campus has both a medical college as well as a dental college. The dental college is recognized by the Malaysian Dental Council. For the purpose of theory and training in Anatomy, the dental students are required to go to the medical college, which is not recognized by Malaysian Medical Council. Due to the taboos attached to the label ‘unrecognised’ doctors, Dr. F is unable to get a suitable groom for marriage. We ask you, as Malaysians, do we not have the right to employment. Do we not have the right to fight for justice and equality? All we ask is for us to be employed, so that we can sustain life and fend for our families. Solution to the problem Unscheduled doctors need employment. Malaysia needs more doctors. Malaysians deserves equality. All we ask is to give us a chance to prove our worth by allowing us to serve our country, and also giving us a means to earn our livelihood. Having undergone innumerable training programs conducted by the local universities, MMC and Ministry of Health, we, the unrecognized doctors are now familiar with the working of the healthcare system in Malaysia, and request to be a part of it.
Let us serve in any part of Malaysia, be it rural areas, Sabah and Sarawak, to ease the scarcity of doctors. Let us serve in the Military hospitals throughout Malaysia.
At present, doctors joining the government service are required to complete 1 year of housemanship, and 3 years as a Medical Officer. Let us, unscheduled doctors, complete 2 years of housemanship and 3 years as a Medical officer. Extended period of internship pending registration. Doctors not meeting the standards set by their superiors should be made to extend their tenure in that department until the level of competency is achieved.
- Unscheduled docs
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.....hates this bn eversince the 80's time to kick the hell out of them ..and finish them off!
Jangan mimpi with whatever your proposed "Solution to the problem" to materialise.Coz UMNO/BN have their own agenda that is to enrich themselve thru their cronnies.
Tunggulah until Pakatan Rakyat become the Federal Government BARU ada HOPE !!!
Kita sudah been conned for 50 years tak cukup lagi ke???? Buat apa nak susah2 & penat2 buat such a long proposal with something so sincere,clear and good to a bunch of MORONs who only know to Rob the Rakyat in broad daylight!!!
HIDUP RPK!!!
HIDUP PAKATAN RAKYAT!!!
HIDUP MALAYSIA!!!