Hospital, 16 clinics closed down for hiring unqualified as doctors

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Two private clinics that employed government hospital housemen with only two months experience, were among 16 clinics and a hospital sealed by the Health Ministry in the last 15 months.
"How can private clinics employ housemen with only two months experience to treat patients?
"They are not qualified to be on their own," said Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
"These housemen and unregistered doctors can endanger the lives of people," he said.
The 16 clinics — six in Selangor, four in Johor, two in Kuala Lumpur and one each in Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Sarawak and the hospital in Penang — were sealed under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.
Dr Ismail said most of the clinics and the hospital, which dispensed traditional cures, were sealed after it was found to be run by people masquerading as doctors.
Among those who masqueraded as doctors were estate hospital and army hospital assistants, nurses, practitioners of traditional medicine and foreigners.
The ministry took the owner of a building in Shah Alam to court early this year for allowing a traditional medical practitioner to operate on the premises.
The owner is liable to a maximum fine of RM300,000 or six years’ jail, or both upon conviction.
It was reported in October last year that the practitioner removed kidney stones, tumours, ovarian cysts and other diseased body parts from patients.
He had been running the clinic for more than 10 years.
Acting on a complaint, Selangor health officers went to the clinic on Sept 27 last year and saw the "doctor" attending to patients in a hospital setting, surrounded by equipment, models of the human skeleton, posters and medical books.
He had charged his patients between RM350 and RM4,000.
He also offered traditional cures.
Dr Ismail said a 60-bed hospital, which provided traditional treatment in Penang was sealed on Aug 3.
During the raid, 20 patients were in the hospital with many waiting to be treated for diabetes.
"They were given so-called traditional medications and medicines.
"However, when the ministry conducted tests on these medicines they were found to contain scheduled drugs," he added.