Materia Medica Malaysiana

200 ‘unrecognised’ docs get chance to enter govt service

KUALA SELANGOR: The 200 medical graduates from non-government accredited universities abroad have been given a chance to practise medicine in the country.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said they would be absorbed into the medical fraternity after undergoing a six-month attachment and passing an examination prepared by the ministry.
The Cabinet approved the recommendation by the ministry to allow the 200 graduates to be attached with government hospitals, he said.
They would be paid a monthly allowance of RM500 during the six-month stint, Dr Chua said during a visit to the Tanjung Karang Hospital near here yesterday.
He said a committee made up of experts from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia would co-ordinate the examination.
“If they pass the exam, the graduates would be offered a housemanship,” said Dr Chua.
He added that they would be allowed to take the examination a second time if they failed.
With regard to a recent report that 30 medical graduates from universities not recognised by the Government were taking the Malaysian Medical Council to court, he said that those who initiated a legal case against the Government would not be given this alternative.
Dr Chua advised students wanting to pursue a medical degree not to enrol with universities that were not recognised by the council.
“We feel it’s a waste of money to pursue a medical degree at non-recognised universities as they would end up jobless. Check with us. We have 300 universities in our list which are recognised,” he said.