Materia Medica Malaysiana

Medical Faculty Capacity To Be Upgraded To Ease Docs' Shortage

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Efforts are underway to upgrade the capacity of medical faculties in local universities by increasing the number of lecturers, laboratories and apparatus in a move to tackle doctors' shortage in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.

This would enable every faculty to increase medical students' intake, Higher Education Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Datuk Dr Adham Baba said.

"This is only an alternative to building new medical faculties as the construction will incur huge cost," he said when replying to Datuk Liow Tiong Lai (BN-Bentong) during question time.

Replying to Liow's supplementary question, Dr Adham said the government would consider applications from foreign universities and private higher learning institutions to set up medical faculties in Malaysia.

"The ministry will consider their applications after studying the justification in terms of requirement, location, suitability and the applicants' affordability before granting approval," he said.

Dr Adham said the government also encouraged local private tertiary learning institutions with university status to offer the courses.

He said there were also private colleges offering the courses on a twinning programme between local and foreign universities.

"Nevertheless, it must be stated that upgrading training is only one of the solutions to doctors' shortage.

"The factors that encouraged doctors to remain in the government service should also be given attention," he said.

Replying to a supplementary question from Baharum Mohamed (BN-Sekijang), Dr Adham said currently the ministry did not control the intake quota of medical students by private universities as applicants apply directly to the universities of their choice without having to go through the ministry.

Baharum had asked whether the government controlled intake of medical students by private universities as they are found to favour foreign students than locals to offer the courses.