PETALING JAYA: Senior doctors have warned that the Malaysian Medical Council’s (MMC) refusal to recognise specialists graduating under the health ministry’s parallel pathway programme (PPP) may have serious repercussions on healthcare in the country.
They claim the MMC has rejected the applications of some eight cardiothoracic surgeons and 100 family medicine specialists trained under the PPP for listing on the National Specialist Register (NSR), despite repeated requests from the health ministry to do so.
Under the PPP, doctors are trained in high volume accredited health ministry facilities and hospitals under the guidance of royal colleges in the United Kingdom.
Programmes are quality assured and equal in standards to the UK exit examinations with the colleges providing the syllabus. They are also fully responsible for conducting exit examinations before trainee doctors are awarded qualifications registrable in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei.
One source questioned why the MMC had rejected the applications, given that these institutions have trained surgeons globally for hundreds of years and are listed on the UK’s General Medical Council website.
The source said many parallel graduates have already obtained job offers to continue working in the UK although they are expected to return and serve locally under their bonds with the government.
“The health ministry started the PPP in 2016 after it was found that there was a serious shortage of medical specialists with master’s programmes.
“Only 1,500 applications are approved annually for enrolment into local medical master’s programmes. Many medical officers fail repeatedly for several years and give up,” the source told FMT.
Serious impact
“The refusal to recognise PPP specialists will have a serious impact on hospitals under the health ministry. It is going to be catastrophic as there are only 14 cardiothoracic surgeons in seven public hospitals now.
“There are also plans for another two new cardiothoracic centres,” the source said, adding that four of the cardiothoracic surgeons are expected to leave for the private sector within a year, with another two due for retirement.
The shortage has resulted in waiting lists for open heart surgery hitting one year, especially for patients in the B40 group, the source said.
The source also said an average of two patients awaiting treatment at the government’s cardiothoracic centres die every week.
“If the PPP breaks down, there will be no new surgeons for the next four to five years in health ministry hospitals,” the source warned.
The source said there are a few highly qualified Malaysian cardiothoracic surgeons who have just returned from abroad after finishing their specialist courses under the PPP and are seeking registration.
“It is unclear why MMC is refusing international quality-assured programmes sponsored by the ministry, supported by the public services department and funded by Malaysian taxpayers for the benefit of the rakyat.”
UK hospitals offering jobs
Another source said some specialists came back even after hospitals in the UK had offered them jobs because they prefer to serve the nation and do not want to break their bonds with the government.
“But if the MMC refuses to place them on the NSR, they will have no choice but to quit and work abroad,” the source said. - FMT
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