Recognition For Traditional Medicine Degrees From China Necessary

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- The degrees for traditional medicine specialists from China or any other country should be recognised by the government to avoid any misunderstanding when the integrated hospitals are set up, a non-government organisation (NGO) here said Thursday.
The secretary of the Malaysian Federation of the Associations of Chinese Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists, Ng Po Kok said the government should look into this aspect because once the concept became a reality, medical experts from China or the other countries might have to be taken in to work in government hospitals.
"Regardless of whether the medical experts are from China or other countries, their qualifications must be recognised by the government," he told Bernama.
The Higher Education Ministry should speed up the process of recognition to enable the medical experts to work in government hospitals in this country, he added.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek announced last year that experts in traditional medicines from Beijing University, Shanghai University and Nanjing University would assist in the implementation of the integrated hospitals.
Three hospitals have been picked for the project. They are Kepala Batas Hospital, Putrajaya Hospital, and Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baharu.
Last February, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat said once the Malaysian Qualifying Agency (MQA) was approved, it would help speed up the recognition of the qualifications.
He added that Chinese medical experts or ‘tabib’ usually preferred to work on their own because they could earn more money.