Bernama: Liow: Doctors’ compulsory service may be reduced

Liow: Doctors’ compulsory service may be reduced

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 – Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the government is studying the possibility of shortening the doctors’ compulsory service in public hospitals. He said the ministry was hoping to come up with the decision by this year.

“The ministry is looking at four years of service (two years of housemanship and two years of compulsory service) compared to five years (three years of housemanship and two years of compulsory service) now,” he told reporters after launching B-Nes Sdn Bhd, a company specialising in birdnest products, near here, today.

He was commenting on a statement made by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk T. Murugiah on Jan 27 that the government was looking at increasing doctors’ compulsory service in public hospitals to between five and 10 years to overcome the shortage of doctors.

He said the idea to extend the compulsory public service for doctors to five or 10 years from the current three in order to overcome the annual shortage of doctors in government hospitals, was not practical.

“We are looking at cutting it (the compulsory service) and making it more attractive for doctors to practice voluntarily in the sector. Forcing them to do so is not good,” he said.

The public sector is reported to face a shortage of between 14,000 and 15,000 from the 25,000 doctors needed, and the situation was made worse with some 300 to 400 doctors leaving the service yearly, despite about 3,000 new medical graduates entering the field at the same time.

Liow also said the ministry had issued a circular last month to standardise the working hours of house officers and medical officers in government hospitals.

“Housemanship is an important training period during which the young doctor is expected to acquire all the necessary basic knowledge and skills required to be a safe and competent doctor, including the ability to adapt to the tough and busy life of a doctor.

“However, I do not want their working hours and conditions to be detrimental to their health and learning process, nor to compromise the safety and interests of their patients,” he added. – Bernama

mStar: MMA Bantah Syor Lanjut Tempoh Khidmat Doktor Kerajaan

MMA Bantah Syor Lanjut Tempoh Khidmat Doktor Kerajaan 

http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita.asp?file=/2010/1/28/mstar_berita/20100128165033&sec=mstar_berita

Published: Khamis Januari 28, 2010 MYT 4:51:00 PM
Updated: Khamis Januari 28, 2010 MYT 7:10:38 PM

Oleh WAHIDA ASRANI

PETALING JAYA: Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia (MMA) menolak cadangan untuk melanjutkan tempoh perkhidmatan wajib doktor dalam kerajaan sehingga lima ke 10 tahun.
 
Menurut Presiden MMA, Dr. David Quek Kwang Leng, cadangan itu dilihat sangat tidak adil tanpa mengambil kira masalah yang mungkin akan dihadapi oleh para doktor kelak.

"Kami tidak tahu bagaimana idea seperti ini boleh dicadangkan. Sedangkan setiap kali mesyuarat yang diadakan antara Kementerian Kesihatan dan MMA, mereka tidak langsung berbincang tentang perkara ini.

"Bagi saya, pihak-pihak tertentu janganlah membuat cadangan dengan mudah. Ia memang sangat tidak adil. Ramai doktor sudah menghubungi kami melahirkan perasaan tidak puas hati mereka dengan cadangan tersebut.

"Rata-rata doktor juga perlu melunaskan pinjaman wang yang banyak sewaktu mereka gunakan ketika belajar dan sebab itu ada yang ingin berkhidmat di swasta. Ini bukan soal tamak, tetapi perkara seperti ini perlu diteliti dengan lebih mendalam terlebih dahulu," katanya kepada mStar Online di sini hari ini.

Semalam, Timbalan Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Senator Datuk T. Murugiah mencadangkan tempoh lanjutan itu sebagai satu cara untuk mengatasi masalah kekurangan doktor di hospital-hospital kerajaan setiap tahun.

Ketika ini, tempoh perkhidmatan wajib doktor dalam kerajaan adalah selama tiga tahun.
Murugiah juga berkata, negara menghadapi masalah kekurangan doktor seramai 5,000 orang pada tahun lalu.

Mengulas lanjut tentang cadangan itu, kata David, beliau yakin Kementerian Kesihatan mampu memikirkan mekanisme lain yang lebih relevan bagi mengatasi masalah tersebut.

"MMA akan sentiasa bekerjasama dengan kementerian untuk mencari penyelesaian perkara ini. Persatuan juga ada program tersendiri dan kami yakin, kita akan mempunyai doktor yang mencukupi pada masa akan datang.

"Jika cadangan tempoh lanjutan itu dilakukan juga, saya risau ramai pelajar jurusan kedoktoran di luar negara enggan pulang berkhidmat di Malaysia. MMA sendiri akan menentang berhabis-habisan jika ia dilakukan juga," katanya.

Bernama: Senator T Murugiah-Gov't mulls extending doctors' service contract

Gov't mulls extending doctors' service contract

Jan 27, 10 2:41pm

 

The government proposes to extend the compulsory public service for doctors to five or 10 years from the current three to overcome the annual shortage of doctors in its hospitals, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah said today.

Last year alone, the country faced a shortage of 5,000 doctors, he added.

"Every year, we face a shortage of doctors because they serve with the government for only five years - two years on housemanship and three years on compulsory service.

"This system has been in use since 1971 and, as such, we should have a new mechanism to resolve the problem," he told reporters after a working visit to the Public Service Commission (PSC) in Putrajaya.

Murugiah said the government's adoption of the proposal would mean that the doctors would be able to garner more experience before they moved on to the private sector or set up their own practice.

"The doctors should not only think about profit. They also have to think about the country's interests -- your contribution to the country," he said.

Murugiah said similar measures could also be applied in other disciplines where there was a shortage of personnel such as dentists and pharmacists.

However, he said, this was up to the Health Ministry, Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and the Public Service Department (PSD) to discuss and decide.

He also said that last year, the government appointed 50,756 civil servants, including candidates for paramedical training, which exceeded the target of 50,000 appointments set by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

A total of 7,785,262 applications were received and 358,366 people were called for interview but only 199,660 turned up for the interviews, he said.

- Bernama

comments from readers:

• 
  by Sam Crow - 4 hours ago
  

  Make it 15 years compulsory service, with 10 years compulsory service in rural areas.
  
• 
  by cascara 
  

  Just as I finished commenting on the torture housemen were going through, I had to read this. The govt feels it hasn't inflicted enough suffering and pain on the doctors. Murugiah, it is not the renumeration they are thinking of but the unbearable working conditions in some cases, bureaucracy and the bullying going on in the bigger hospitals which often makes them want to leave. The govt hospitals are now overflowing with housemen(ask the DG). 25 medical schools in the country and another 5 more to come online soon. That will be about 4000-5000 graduating yearly. You could anticipate a surplus of doctors soon. What we will need is not more doctors but better trained ones. I don't mean torturing housemen and MOs but better designed medical school curricula, better and more teachers and and teaching by consultants and registrars.
  
• 
  by Jeffrey Yew 
  

  Do they even know why the doctors leave public service? Have they really taken a look at it? Judging by the DG's statements from yesterday, they don't have a clue or are just brazenly ignoring facts. While it is true that money is factor in doctors leaving public service, there are two other big factors too (money is no longer a major factor with the recent wage restructure of government-employed doctors). Firstly, they have to re-look at the working conditions of the doctors. Current working conditions treat new doctors like slaves and there literally is no limit to the number of hours a doctor have to work in a week. Secondly, why stay in a sector where advancement is not by merit but by one's ethnicity and connections/network? Solve these issues and there shall be no need of this negative reinforcement of public service. Humans will naturally stay in an environment which is confortable.
  
• 
  by Jeffrey Yew 
  

  This is great news that all doctors have been waiting to hear. From now on, all doctors will have to sign their lives away to the Malaysian government for the rest of their lives. Perfect excuse for ALL of them to leave this hair-brained establishment.
  

  
  

  
  

  My Comments (DQ):
  

  
  
  

  If this government continues to act unilaterally, then God help us all. We really do have to act even more drastically. Do these people actually think before they say anything? Will we really be acheivung anything other than to drive Malaysians away from their homeland! What a colossal loss of mind and talent!