Comprehensive review of the quality of doctors in Malaysia

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw calls for a comprehensive review of the quality of doctors in the country.

The Federal Government should spell out in details its moratorium on medical courses for five years because the public is concerned about its effects.

On 8.2.2011, Dr Tan comments further on the quality of doctors in Malaysia.

The public are getting increasingly concerned about the quality of doctors in this country. It is only natural that patients are unhappy with some of the doctors in hospitals and clinics.

There are many factors that contribute to the low standard of some doctors. According to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), there are 24 medical schools--10 public universities, 12 local private medical colleges and two foreign medical schools. Students also study at about 50 accredited foreign universities. We are producing 3,500 to 5,000 medical graduates a year for a population of 27 million..

It is correct that the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) continues to look at pre-university courses tied with medical degree programmes. For example, some medical colleges are reported to take in SPM-level students. While it is necessary to insist on strict entry criteria for medical schools, it is also important to ascertan the suitabllity of a candidate to be trained as a doctor.

There is a need for a comprehensive review of the quality of doctors, the ways to raise this quality and the effectiveness of MMC in monitoring it.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw