Materia Medica Malaysiana

Check with MMC first, parents told

KUALA LUMPUR: Parents are reminded to check with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) on the authenticity of medical institutions prior to enrolling their children to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous “secret agents.”
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said they had received reports that these “secret agents” were irresponsible parties who went around convincing parents that there were new medical institutions in the process of being recognised by the MMC.
He said currently there were no new institutions recognised by the MMC.
“We want to remind the public that a college or institution should not be considered recognised until it has been approved by the Health Minister and gazetted,” he said yesterday.
Dr Ismail said there were about 300 students studying in unregistered foreign institutions.
He also said that to date MMC recognises 344 local and foreign medical institutions offering undergraduate medical degrees, which have been listed on the Second Schedule of the Medical Act 1971.
Dr Ismail said based on the Act, only graduates with degrees from recognised institutions were allowed to register and practice medicine in Malaysia.
“Graduates from unrecognised colleges will have to sit for and pass the Medical Qualifying Examination in three local universities or examining bodies before they can practice,” he said.