Liow To Doctors: Come Back And Serve The Country

Bernama: DUBLIN, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai urged Malaysian medical specialists who are currently working abroad to return and serve their home country.
Saying that although they could show patriotism anywhere in the world, it would be more meaningful if they could return to Malaysia and help strengthen its medical sector which was still facing shortage of specialists.
"We need them. They can either work in government or private hospitals," he said after meeting 22 Malaysian doctors and specialists here.
Liow said that at the meeting, several doctors expressed willingness to return while others said they needed more time to consider the matter and to gain more experience.
The government, Liow said, would provide facilities for the returning specialists in terms of promotions and salaries, saying the government would not stop them from joining the private sector.
Those working with the government would also be provided with assistance to further their studies and that they would be considered for promotions in various grades such as the UD43, UD47, UD51 and UD53 depending on their experience and qualifications.
At the meeting, Liow told them of the various improvements implemented by the government in the medical service especially in the specialist sector.
He said that time-based promotions had been implemented which allowed UD41 house officers to achieve the UD54 grade in 12 years, for non-specialists, and in nine years for specialists.
Doctors in government service also had ample training opportunities through programmes such as the "Open Master's Programme" which was given to 600 doctors since 2008 and would be increased to 800 next year, he said.
Also present at the meeting were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K. Devamany and Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot.
Meanwhile, Dr Tidi Maharani Hassan, one of the specialists at the meeting, expressed regret over the perception that doctors who served abroad were wasting the government's money.
Dr Tidi Maharani, who at 27 is the youngest specialist in Dublin, said many Malaysian doctors decided to serve abroad to gain experience which would be useful when they later return to serve their home country.
The pulmonologist said she was grateful for all the assistance given by the government but said that she took up employment abroad because of the laboratory facilities available apart from the training given.
Another doctor, Dr Kama Muhammad, 38, a consultant surgeon, urged the government to carry out improvements in all aspects of the medical service, not just in terms of the salary scales.