Recognition of specialists good news for 1,500 waiting heart patients, says group

 

Four cardiothoracic surgeons from the parallel pathway programme are awaiting recognition while 28 others are in various stages of its completion. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: The government’s move to amend the Medical Act 1971 to recognise cardiothoracic surgeons graduating from the parallel pathway programme will translate into shorter waiting time for heart patients in public hospitals, says an association.

The Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (MATCVS) said there are about 1,500 heart patients in public hospitals waiting for surgeries, and the number is set to grow if their recognition is further delayed.

Commending the health and higher education ministries for joining hands to hold a high-powered meeting last week to resolve the impasse, a MATCVS spokesman said this move would be welcome news for the patients and their families.

“The call by higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir last week for a ‘ceasefire’ between the opposing groups on the matter for the good of the nation’s healthcare is timely.

“The number of patients is growing, with only 14 cardiothoracic surgeons in public hospitals at the moment,” he said.

Four cardiothoracic surgeons from the parallel pathway programme are awaiting recognition while 28 others are in various stages of its completion.

He said the association agreed with the ministers that both the parallel pathway programme linked to foreign colleges and the masters programmes in local universities must coexist unimpeded to ensure they produce the maximum number of specialists of the highest quality and standards.

The spokesman said MATCVS, which is involved in parallel pathway training, has given an assurance that the curriculum is quality-assured by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and follows the same standards and requirements of the Malaysian national postgraduate medical curriculum.

“Its quality is further assured by the UK intercollegiate surgical curriculum for cardiothoracic surgery regulated by the UK General Medical Council (GMC).

“The exit examination is the RCSEd Joint Specialty Fellowship examination in cardiothoracic surgery. This examination follows the same standards and format as the one conducted in the UK and regulated by the GMC.

“This is the same and the only cardiothoracic exit examination and qualification used in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei, and is fully recognised by all of them,” he said.

He said the graduates of the cardiothoracic parallel pathway training programme have received confirmation from the GMC that they are eligible for specialist registration in the UK.

The spokesman said the association urged critics of the parallel pathway programme to engage with the association directly for clarification to avoid further unnecessary and often inaccurate and wrong public statements on the matter.

“As Zambry said, it’s time to work together to avoid statements that cause confusion to both the medical profession and the public,” he said. - FMT