FMT:
Decision to end recognition of UK heart surgeons’ programme shocking, says senator
18 Mar 2024, 10:15 PM
Dr RA Lingeswaran calls on the health ministry to clarify the move by the Malaysian Medical Council.
Dr RA Lingeswaran calls on the health ministry to clarify the move by the Malaysian Medical Council.
Dr RA Lingeswaran said countries like Singapore and Hong Kong continue to recognise the training provided by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, but Malaysia does not.
PETALING JAYA: A senator has asked the health ministry to clarify why the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) decided to cease recognising the parallel pathway programme for cardiothoracic surgeons involved in twinning programmes with universities in the UK.
Dr RA Lingeswaran said that under the programme, Malaysian doctors were sent by the government to acclaimed institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to train as cardiothoracic surgeons.
Lingeswaran, a former director of the Sungai Bakap Hospital in Penang, said the medical fraternity was shocked over this decision.
He said it was “nonsensical” that countries like Singapore and Hong Kong continue to recognise the training provided by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, but Malaysia does not.
“Is the MMC doubting the credibility of this institution?” he asked during the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Negara.
“None of these programmes at local teaching hospitals are recognised by MMC.
“The health ministry must clarify this decision.”
Lingeswaran said the specialist course under the parallel programme had been recognised until 2021, according to ministry records.
After that, he said, it suddenly went missing from the list of recognised postgraduate qualifications in the MMC website and no reason was provided.
He said he had checked the names of certain Malaysian cardiothoracic surgeons with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and found them to have a good standing with the institution although they were not recognised locally.
He also asked the minister to clarify claims that the MMC is opposing the recognition although the speciality subcommittee for education in the health ministry had recommended that the qualification via the parallel pathway be accepted.
Lingeswaran said the government had gone on record to say it had spent RM2.4 million for the training of cardiothoracic surgeons. But with the sudden derecognition, the minister must clarify the status of those who were enrolled in the programme.
“There are those who had enrolled into the programme before 2021 when it was still recognised by MMC. When they complete the programme six years later, they cannot be registered as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
“This will be a gross injustice to them,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: A senator has asked the health ministry to clarify why the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) decided to cease recognising the parallel pathway programme for cardiothoracic surgeons involved in twinning programmes with universities in the UK.
Dr RA Lingeswaran said that under the programme, Malaysian doctors were sent by the government to acclaimed institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to train as cardiothoracic surgeons.
Lingeswaran, a former director of the Sungai Bakap Hospital in Penang, said the medical fraternity was shocked over this decision.
He said it was “nonsensical” that countries like Singapore and Hong Kong continue to recognise the training provided by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, but Malaysia does not.
“Is the MMC doubting the credibility of this institution?” he asked during the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Negara.
“None of these programmes at local teaching hospitals are recognised by MMC.
“The health ministry must clarify this decision.”
Lingeswaran said the specialist course under the parallel programme had been recognised until 2021, according to ministry records.
After that, he said, it suddenly went missing from the list of recognised postgraduate qualifications in the MMC website and no reason was provided.
He said he had checked the names of certain Malaysian cardiothoracic surgeons with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and found them to have a good standing with the institution although they were not recognised locally.
He also asked the minister to clarify claims that the MMC is opposing the recognition although the speciality subcommittee for education in the health ministry had recommended that the qualification via the parallel pathway be accepted.
Lingeswaran said the government had gone on record to say it had spent RM2.4 million for the training of cardiothoracic surgeons. But with the sudden derecognition, the minister must clarify the status of those who were enrolled in the programme.
“There are those who had enrolled into the programme before 2021 when it was still recognised by MMC. When they complete the programme six years later, they cannot be registered as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
“This will be a gross injustice to them,” he said.
***
kt comments:
Years back (2005) the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) shocked many people (especially Indian Malaysians) when it stated that it would not extend recognition to Ukraine's Crimea State Medical University after Dec 31, 2006.
Prior to that date, many Malaysian medical students "on scholarships" were at CSMU training to be doctors, but presumably because of the College fees affordability, so were many privately-funded Malaysian (mainly Indian) students too - yes, Indians loved (still do) being doctors.
The MMC's unexpected decision crushed the hopes and dreams of many self-funded Malaysian students, unfairly as those who graduated before Dec 31, 2006 were chiefly "scholarship holders".
Some argued that the MMC's decisions to de-recognise the CSMU was related to the need to balance the entry of Malays and non-Malays into medical schools both here and abroad.
Coincidentally, as we can recall, the de-recognition decision came after a Malaysian minister visiting CSMU uttered his feelings that "there were too many 'blacks'" studying at CSMU, obviously after he saw many Indian Malaysian (private) students at CSMU, who knows, maybe even more than the scholarship holders.
Could it be the same case for the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to cease recognising the parallel pathway programme for cardiothoracic surgeons involved in twinning programmes with universities in the UK?
Alas, being Malaysians, we are inclined to think the worst, that is, along racist lines!
They will give the excuse of breaking free from Colonial Penjajah shackles...
ReplyDeletethis possibly will help Madani Dude win some points with the 3R mob...