Tuesday April 17, 2012

Varsity lecturers to help out at 22 hospitals

By ROSHIDI ABU SAMAH
roshidi@thestar.com.my

TAPAH: The Health Ministry has identified 22 public and private universities which will provide specialist medical services in 22 district hospitals nationwide.

Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the universities were among 33 public and private universities in the country that offer medical courses.

He described it as a smart partnership as the hospitals would provide all the necessary facilities while the universities would send their lecturers who are also medical experts with various specialisations.

He said the collaboration would result in more patients receiving specialist treatment with a shorter waiting period.

“It is a win-win solution for the ministry, universities and the public,” he said after witnessing the signing of the smart partnership between the ministry and nine universities at the Tapah Hospital yesterday.

The ministry was represented by its secretary-general Datuk Kamarul Zaman Md Isa while the nine universities were represented by their vice-chancellors or top officials.

The nine universities that inked the partnership agreement were:

- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman that would provide specialist medical service at the Tapah Hospital,
- Management and Science University (Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital), Perdana University (Bentong Hospital)
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Serian Hospital),
- UCSI University (Dungun Hospital),
- Lincoln University College (Lahad Datu Hospital),
- Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (Kepala Batas Hospital),
- Melaka Manipal Medical College (Jasin Hospital)
- Mahsa University College (Tanjung Karang Hospital).

Liow said the signing ceremony with the remaining 13 universities would be held later.

“The partnership will help ease congestion at main hospitals and increase the bed occupancy rate at district hospitals,” he said, adding that priority areas include internal medicine, general surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopedic and anaesthesiology.

Govt to ease norms for non-MBBS docs, Allopathy treatment will no longer be the preserve of MBBS doctors


Mumbai, July 14 -- Allopathy treatment will no longer be the preserve of MBBS doctors. Practitioners trained in ayurveda, homeopathy and unani will soon be allowed to prescribe allopathic treatment, after undergoing a one-year course in allopathy pharmacology, the government announced on Friday. An ordinance to this effect will be issued next month.

Medical education minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit told the state assembly that non-MBBS practitioners who intend to prescribe allopathic treatment will have to clear an examination in allopathy pharmacology.

This, the minister said, is to ensure that the government's decision stands up to scrutiny in court. The said course will start in August or September this year.

Ayurveda, Unani doctors to strike work today

As many as 2,000 ayurveda and unani doctors along with students from ayurvedic colleges in the city will participate in a nationwide strike on Tuesday to protest against the government move disallowing them from prescribing allopathic drugs.

Dr Subash Gawari, vice-president of the National Integrated Medical Association, Pune district branch, said that a rally will be taken out from Tilak Ayurved College to the district collectorate.

Only a few weeks ago, doctors from the Indian Medical Association had protested against the implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act, 2010 and National Commission for Human Resources for Health Bill, 2011 as proposed by the Union Health Ministry.

“We are also opposed to the Bachelor in Rural Medicine (BRMS) course proposed by the health ministry.

Our main demand, however, is to oppose the government's move that disallows us to prescribe allopathic drugs. In most of the talukas, there are no MBBS doctors and it is only ayurvedic practitioners who come to the aid of patients,” said Gawari.

“The Maharashtra government had issued circulars in 1991 and 1996 allowing us to prescribe allopathic drugs,” said Gawari. The doctors have also opposed the Clinical Establishment Act that calls for a central body to supervise smaller state councils. This will dilute the power of state authorities and reduce accessibility of proper healthcare for patients, he said.

The doctors will also protest against the violence meted out to doctors in Uttar Pradesh recently.

Clinics to remain closed in Pimpri today

... contd.

Medical body distances itself from ayurveda, unani doctors’ stir

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has distanced itself from the strike called by ayurveda, unani and homeopathy doctors. As many as 1,500-2,000 doctors from Pune and Pimpri took out a protest march demanding that they be allowed to prescribe allopathy medicines.

Wait a minute - MRCP = specialist in Malaysia? Please check and confirm, because the MRCP, MRCPCH and all membership exams for that matter, are entry exams and have been for decades in Singapore and the UK.

Back in my time and that’s some 20, 25 years back, the Membership exams were a prerequisite for me to exit BST (Basic Specialty Training) and enter AST.

Yes, but that is just a postgraduate qualification - it may not confer professional recognition of specialty. Eg in the UK, you’ll need the CCST post MRCP to qualify as a specialist. In Singapore, you’ll need a Fellowship equivalent.

Thank you for your clarification! That's honestly an eye opener for me!

Depends on which field u choose. Surgical field via master route is always more competitive, as there is bumi quota and budget cut from kkm. Those specialties with parallel pathway, such as internal med, pediatrics and o&g are easier to get into in the sense that u can always bypass the quota and do external exams. But again, this depends on your ability. The UK based exams are usually harder than local exams.

Many HOs, and even some MOs, are grossly incompetent. For starter, they can't present case properly. In addition, there is poor grasp of basic medical knowledge. Some MOs can't handle emergency., E.g dunno when to start inotropes, unsure of proper steps of resuscitation.

I am a melaka manipal grad, and it is not recognized by SMC. I have MRCP which is recognized by SMC, and thus I have been offered a position. However, I will have to restart the residency program, and maybe will get into less competitive subs such as endocrine, hematology or rheumatology. However as a fully gazetted physician under NSR Malaysia, I can come back anytime if I feel Singapore is not for me.

I do know life is not all rosy in Singapore, but at least the pay is good, and I will be paid my worth.

it has always been 2 years for as long as i can remember. never heard of it being one year before. i can't imagine a one year housemanship when there are many struggling to cope with 2 years and getting extended.

That was my understanding - after all, when I graduated and applied for housemanship in Malaysia (before I later accepted an offer to do the same in Singapore), I was pretty sure it was only for a year before I would get my full registration. I actually still have my temporary registration licence somewhere as a keepsake haha.