Materia Medica Malaysiana

Flawed choice of foreign specialists

TEN per cent of foreign medical specialists employed by the Health Ministry are incompetent.

Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad admitted there were flaws in the selection process as it failed to determine the competency level of candidates.

The candidates were interviewed in Malaysia and their country of origin but the exercise was confined to verifying their qualifications.

"Once they start working, we find out that 10 per cent are incompetent," he said.

Dr Abdul Latiff said foreign specialists were required to serve under a local specialist for six months before they were allowed to practise on their own, and that only when the local expert was satisfied with his performance. Those who failed would be downgraded to medical officers.

Replying to a supplementary question from Baharum Mohamed (BN-Sekijang), the Deputy Minister provided statistics on the shortage of doctors in the past five years.

"In 1999, there was a shortage of 285 doctors and specialists in government hospitals, 914 in 2000, 849 in 2001 and 803 in 2002. Last year, of the 2,164 vacancies, only 908 were filled," he said.

A total of 654 foreign doctors were employed on contract basis since May 1 this year.

Dr Abdul Latiff said the ministry was satisfied with the quality of foreign doctors from India, Pakistan, Canada, Iraq, Nepal, Somalia and Jordan.

To another supplementary question from Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), Dr Abdul Latiff said until 2002, only 15 specialists had resigned, compared to almost 50 before.